Crimson Pirates: Dawn of a New Age
by Joker's Ace
Summary: When the world's most feared pirate hunter becomes the least of your worries, the trust and loyalty of those closest to you becomes an invaluable and irreplaceable asset. After escaping the Marines, Bo and company find themselves in an unenviable position and must stay one step ahead of the mounting dangers as their infamy, and the threats against them, become the stuff of legend.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** This story is the sequel to my earlier work, _Crimson Pirates_. It is recommended to read the first part before beginning this story. And, for those who have read the first part, but need a reminder of the path thus far, a short summary is written below.

* * *

 **Prologue**

When three squads of Marines, led by Vice Admiral Tokage, attack Bo's home island and slaughter the island's inhabitants, he gathers up his estranged friends, Leon and Ray, and orchestrates an escape on a Marine battleship with the few he was able to save.

In order to find a place for the passengers, the trio heads to the nearest island – Torenai Kingdom, an affiliate of the World Government – where they end up in the middle of a coup. Joining up with the King's youngest son while impersonating Government officials, Bo and Leon work to end the coup and restore power to the rightful King, using their role to negotiate sanctuary for the passengers. Before leaving, though, they are joined by the Prince, Alexander, and his primary attendant, Mino, who wishes to find the man ultimately responsible for disrupting the peace of his country.

Hell bent on attaining his revenge, Bo leads the crew through the Calm Belt where they come across Cornelious Rashaad, a mysterious young man with secrets of his own and a hidden history with the prisoner they freed, Mage. They make it through and stop at the noble resort island of Nobella. Drawn into a rebellion by those outside the city, Bo and his crew prevent complete decimation of the rebels and help them to get away, but not before finding themselves under the eye of a dark and enigmatic individual.

Having gained many new crew members from Nobella, the crew seek their next adventure when the legendary Vice Admiral Hammer and a very young Vice Admiral appear behind them and attack. Shaad assists in holding the Vice Admiral's ship off, but when the younger one announces that they have one of his friends in custody, he makes a deal and turns on the rest of the ship.

* * *

 **A/N:** The above summary has omitted numerous details and is only a rough outline. If this is all you have read, you will not fully understand the story to come or characters.


	2. Chapter 1: Delivery

**A/N:** Welcome to the beginning of a new adventure. Enjoy.

* * *

 **Delivery**

"Are you sure about this?"

"Don't worry," Shaad assured the giant powerhouse, "everything's gonna be fine. I told you, I had to knock out those people cause they didn't understand the plan. We don't have that problem, right?"

Kayden was unsure, too nervous to look the smaller swordsman in the eyes. He hesitated for a second before answering, his voice uncharacteristically shaky for a man his size. "Right. And my brother?"

"I told you, he's fine; I just got him watching over the rest of the people." Shaad could still see Kayden's unease in the tensed muscles of the young man's wide back. "I promise, no harm shall come to either you or your brother. I just need you to follow this Pose and steer the ship to that Marine Base so we can drop off the prisoners then we can be on our merry way. . . It'd be a hassle if I had to do everything myself." Shaad gave Kayden a solid pat and squeeze on the shoulder and left to go check on everyone else.

The citizens from the Slums were gathered below deck, most squeezed into kitchen and spilling out into the hallway and nearby dining area, though some of the older people chose to retire to the sleeping areas early. Shaad could hear them chattering amongst themselves as he approached, some casting evil or fearful glances in his direction when they thought he wasn't looking. He would've ignored it except that they're incessant murmuring was an annoyance to his acute hearing and if they remained disgruntled, they could prove an ever bigger annoyance based on sheer number alone. "Listen!" Shaad raised his voice to get the people's undivided attention. "You're all aware there was a scuffle above deck. That's been settled, but for convenience sake, it's best you all remain below deck." There was a collective groan at his suggestion, and Shaad could sense the brewing discontentment so he chose settle the passengers' air of tension with a few precise words in the form of a vague threat. "The Marines already know this ship has been commandeered by pirates. If they come back and catch you on deck, they'll assume you're with them and arrest you for piracy. This way, if they retake the ship, you'll simply be considered prisoners and released; either way you're free to go as soon as we reach land, so don't fret." Using their lack of knowledge over what occurred above deck, Shaad assuaged the group's frustrations until a better solution could be reached.

He then continued his rounds, walking to the main mast where Ray, Alexander, Bo, and Mino were tied up with Leon and members of the White Knights and rebel forces strewn unconscious around them. Mino was the only one conscious of the lot. Shaad restrained her without inflicting any injury, and would have left her untouched completely save for the fact that she didn't take the sight of him knocking out Alexander all that well at all. Shaad managed to keep Tala surprisingly docile, and it helped greatly that Mino's black mamba had already been locked away for the safety of the other guests aboard the ship. Shaad didn't yet know about her pet Yuda but it rarely reared it's head without being called upon, and he'd already had to tape her mouth shut to keep her quiet. The only other people conscious aboard the ship at the moment were Mage, Kaleb, and Rose. Mage knew better than to stand against Shaad while Rose strangely trusted him and rather quickly agreed to the plan as it was explained to her, and Kaleb would follow along so long as Rose went along with the plan. So, while Mage was nowhere to be found, Kaleb kept watch over the unconscious crew, with directions to report when they began to stir, while Rose tended to the wounded at a casual pace. With everyone knocked unconscious, doling out medical care was far less hectic, and it was probably the best thing for Leon who, were he not too injured to move, would refuse to stay still and let his injuries heal.

Shaad grew restless, and went to find Mage. Since he'd been trapped on that Calm Belt island for about six months, it would be helpful to know what'd been going on in the world, and information was part of Mage's job description, though the information provided tended to be limited in scope. Firstly, though, Shaad went back by the wheel to question Kayden about how long it would take to reach landfall, receiving an answer he didn't like much at all. "A month; are you sure? Can't we get there any faster?"

"As far as I remember," Kayden responded, "though with favorable winds and no setbacks, it's possible to arrive in just three weeks. But, as I said before, my memory of the cartography of the region may be mistaken.

Just as Shaad had pretty much expected, the information that Mage was able to give was more interesting than useful, though the fact that a new Admiral had been named in his absence was worth knowing, particularly considering who it was. Shaad could only hope not to run into him. But, a more immediate concern for the young pirate was getting some rest. He was growing tired in his boredom, so he went up to the crow's nest to sleep hoping nothing else would call for his immediate attention.

About five hours later, shortly after the sun had set, Shaad was awoken by something incessantly poking his forehead. He first was able to sleep through it, but ten straight minutes of the same thing slowly broke through even his dreary haze. His first thought was that it was Tala, but he noticed the subject in question was softer and blunt, a far cry from Tala's sharp beak. Shaad gradually came to. The sounds of the world returning to his ears followed by vision steadily getting clearer as the rest of his senses flared to life. Prior to fully opening his eyes, he grabbed hold of the nuisance and tiredly, but firmly, called out, "What the hell's your problem, kid?" Looking the young Kaleb square in the eyes as he said it.

"I'm bored." the young teenager replied, almost whining.

Shaad released the boy's finger and replaced his fedora over his eyes to resume sleeping, frustrated by the hindrance. "There's quite a few vicious criminals in the ship's hold; I'm sure they'd be happy to play with you." Kaleb got up with an audible huff making his displeasure quite apparent. "Don't even think about it." Shaad commanded as Kaleb stood over him, foot raised and ready to stomp on his face.

Kaleb proceeded to stomp away, but before he got out of shouting range, Shaad called out to get his attention. "Wait! Are any of the crew up yet?"

"No! And keeping an eye on them is getting more boring than watching paint dry. I tried spending time with Rose, but she locked me out."

'Hm, I really need to get better at holding back; Ray's abilities threw me off.' Shaad thought to himself before replying to Kaleb's answer. "Tell your brother I'll take the wheel for the night. The lot of you can do whatever; I'm enough for overnight duty."

Already noticing how lazy Shaad was, Kaleb was a bit surprised by the declaration, but wasn't about to question a gift as he said 'OK' and dropped out of the crow's nest.

The ship was calm as it sailed along the smooth waters, the shining stars the only illumination in the dark night. Everyone else had long since turned in for the night, leaving the deck empty except for Shaad himself and those tied around the main mast. Per Bo's orders, Mage remained a ghost to all those who didn't already know of his presence aboard the ship, but with no one to notice, he approached silently from behind Shaad.

"So what's the situation" Shaad asked without turning around.

For a second, Mage remained quiet, but even without a sound, Shaad was fully aware of his presence and he knew it. "It's just as you expected."

"Haa, things just can't be easy. Did you bring what I asked for?"

"Yes," Mage answered, handing Shaad a bucket. "Why do you need a bucket of ice water anyway?"

"To make things easy."

Mage didn't understand the cryptic message, but decided to let it be, knowing Shaad wasn't one for deep, meaningful statements.

With Mage gone, Shaad was once again virtually alone on the ship's deck. Locking the wheel, he stepped away and casually strolled a lap around the main mast, taking in the different faces of the restrained crew as they slept. He stopped and crouched in front of Mino, gazing upon her with soft eyes. He gently cradled her chin in his palm, removing the gag from her mouth and ever so slightly loosing her bindings before casting a scornful glance at Alexander. 'If you ever hurt her-' he thought as he rose to full height, hefting the bucket and dousing Bo with its contents. The icy water provided a rude awakening, splashing over him with a shocking chill, drenching his skin,clothes, and hair, as the ice snaked into any available crevice.

It took every bit of self control Bo possessed to not exclaim in shock, his mind immediately working to figure out what happened and why as he steadied his breathing. He was raising his head to look Shaad in the eyes when he realized he was tied to the mast with his hands securely behind his back. The glare he then directed at the brazen hitchhiker could have killed a lesser person, and he spoke in a low, cold tone. "Why am I tied up on my own ship?"

"Have you forgotten already?" Shaad spoke as if having a pleasant conversation between old friends, but kept his voice contained so as not to wake the others. "The Marines have my friend, they want their ship back, and they'd like the pirates - along with the kidnapped Prince - turned over to them unharmed."

"So you're just going to give in to their demands?"

"I can't in good conscience just let my friend remain in Marine custody, and I'd be a fool to try and fight two Vice Admirals, one of which I know would require my undivided attention. What do you think? Of course I'm not gonna just give them what they want."

Bo was confused by the answer. From what he heard, Shaad's answer and reasoning didn't add up. But, Shaad's mind sometimes seemed like a place not even Shaad himself could accurately navigate, so he simply asked, "Then what's your plan? Why are we tied up?"

Shaad's expression brightened and he raised a finger to Bo like he'd just asked the million beli question. "You see, Hammer called ahead to inform the Marine base that I'd be dropping by with a group of marines to hand over the pirates, and he gave me an Eternal Pose to the island. So, we're going to the base and they'll get their prisoners."

"Wait; what?" Bo was clearly confused by Shaad's scattered explanation of his plan, but Shaad couldn't be bothered to clarify the finer points at the moment.

"Listen, we can't talk freely and there's plenty of time before we reach the base. I just need you to convince Ray to help keep order during the trip. I'm no babysitter."

"Fine; Ray would help out these people no matter the situation, anyway. That's just the type of person he is."

"Good to know. . . And, good night." Shaad said before slamming the bottom of the bucket into the side of Bo's skull, knocking the captain unconscious again.

When Bo came to the next day, Ray was no longer tied up next to him and his wet clothes had been replaced with a dry alternative. To the best of his abilities, considering their current predicament, he calmed a frantic Alexander and an irate Mino, relieved that Leon was at least getting the much needed rest to recover from his injuries. It would still be a while before their resident monster was at full capacity, but on the few occasions where Leon was better than 80%, his presence and power were a great benefit.

With Ray basically running the operations of the ship and Kayden manning the helm, Shaad was left to do whatever he pleased, though he at least took time to make it look like he was in charge and merely using Ray. At the time of the day when the bustle of the ship was at its peak with the able bodied men moving to and fro to counter the strong winds pushing against the ship while Ray remained below deck preparing food for everyone, Shaad approached the trio of Bo, Alexander, and Mino with Rose in tow. Rose looked ashamed and guilty, partially cowering behind Shaad, for leaving them like that even though she wholly believed Shaad to be a kind hearted individual.

Bo's expression, though, said it was okay and helped ease her troubled thoughts. That expression instantly changed as he looked from the innocent Rose to the questionable Shaad. "To what do I owe the honor?" Bo sarcastically stated, essentially spitting the words like poison.

Shaad's face was one of disappointment as he returned Bo's icy stare. "In the face of someone far superior to yourself, you should act more humbly." Shaad advised. The ensuing staredown contained such veiled animosity between the two that it isolated them from the rest of the world for a moment. But, Shaad's expression soon softened, being replaced by a genuine smile before he continued. "But, neither of us are like that I guess. I like that about you; careful it doesn't get you and those close to you killed." His words were accompanied by a foreboding glance to those with Bo, including the unconscious Leon at his feet.

"I swear he's bi-polar sometimes." Alexander muttered, mostly to himself, but loud enough that Mino barely heard him and Shaad's ears picked up on the slight as well.

"No, just uncommitted to a mood." Shaad corrected. "I do actually have reason for coming to you all, though. First, Rose, about how much longer will Leon be out?"

"He's stable, and considering he's already been out for going on three days now, I'd say another two days at most."

"Second, I will be going to the Marine base to turn in the prisoners with the squad of marines as agreed on with Hammer. But, those prisoners won't be you, and the marines won't be the ones sent here from Hammer's ship. I doubt there sitting in the brig thinking of ways to help me right now." Shaad grinned at the thought, but quickly got himself back on point. "You'll all be disguised as marines and we're finally gonna do some spring cleaning with that trash in the ship's cells. I'll take care of the Marine watchdogs when the time comes, but this plan relies almost entirely on Rose still having her Marine identification. Do you?"

"I do."

"Good. Now, I just need to get Mino to say those words." Shaad commented with a smirk and a wink to the mermaid, easing the budding tension of the moment.

Bo ignored the one sided flirting, intervening with an authoritative tone. "That plan works, but I'm going to need a favor." Shaad simply gave a wolfish grin in return.


	3. Chapter 2: Openings

**Openings**

"Hey, pull in the sails on the port side!"

"The winds too strong!"

"If we don't get those sails up now, they'll be useless."

Rain beat down on the ship with unmatched ferocity, gale force winds ramming the ship like a whale. The forces of nature conspired to transform the battleship into a ghost ship in one fell swoop and it showed no signs of letting up.

The men of the Nobella rebellion fought to keep the ship stable and moving as wave after wave rocked the ship like a toy in a child's bath. Men were pushed off of the topgallant and knocked to the floor like dolls by the powerful winds, but the perilous situation provided no time to tend the wounded as more fell seemingly each second. Ray helped secure the women, children, and elderly below deck while those capable braved the conditions above.

"Cyclone to the starboard side!"

"There's another ahead of us!"

With ample reason, the people began to panic, but the firm demeanor and commanding air of the White Knights kept enough control of the situation as they issued stern orders to the disorganized masses. Shaad merely looked on with intrigue as the people ran around like ants, fearful of the raging waters that could drown them at any time, as did Bo.

"There's a storm approaching." Mino calmly declared, prompting a response from a nearby man who heard her emotionless warning through gusting tempest.

"No shit, bi - " He was cut off without noticing the vicious glare directed towards him by Mino, preoccupied with screaming for his life as the choppy waters below drew closer or, more accurately, he fell into their depths, the impact against the water's surface feeling like crashing into a brick wall.

Shaad stood in that same spot as calmly as if the man never existed, nodding to Mino to say he heard her before issuing orders of his own. "White Knights, take control of this situation! Everyone else, make sure ropes are tied tight and people are secure as well! This is what we've been waiting for."

Shaad's constant smile unnerved many who noticed it, but the situation immediately improved when the White Knights took over the duties troubling much of the group so mightily. Ray's emergence from below deck provided another boost in morale as he took action just in time to keep the ship from being capsized by a rogue wave or trashed by a whirlpool that appeared out of nowhere.

Even with things looking up, though, Shaad approached the main mast with one sword partially drawn. With an almost unseen movement, the binds restraining Alexander had been cut and Shaad was pulling the former Prince to his feet. Shaad spoke as Alexander stumbled forward, the ropes around his wrist tumbling loosely to the deck.

"Now it's your turn, Prince." massaging his sore wrist, Alexander gladly accepted the challenge set forth as Kayden steered them directly into even worse waters.

"You wanted to talk?" Shaad questioned Bo, crouching down so their eyes were level with one another.

"Cut me loose."

"That comes later. But, I will enlighten you on a few things."

Bo grumbled lowly, shifting from discomfort beneath the ropes that bound him, but acquiesced to Shaad's terms. "What do you plan to do you about your friend?"

"What friend?" Shaad asked, acting confused.

"The friend of yours those Marines have," Bo replied, mildly annoyed by Shaad's dismissive behavior.

"Oh," Shaad exclaimed as if he'd just remembered something important. "They don't have any friend of mine." Bo looked marginally confused by the response, but Shaad soon elaborated. "I talked to a friend of mine who was actually hiding out in Nobella. According to him, there were only two of my friends in the area, neither female. And since those words didn't come from Hammer anyway, they were very likely a lie developed by the second Vice Admiral all his own."

There was a short pause in their talk as Shaad stood back up. Bo opened his mouth to say something else, but was cut off by Shaad. "Well, that's all for the question and answer portion of our show. Thank you for your cooperation." With those strange words, Shaad left to check the ship's progress in the fierce storm.

Calm, open seas and a nice tailwind paved the way for the ship as most of those on board were either dead on their feet or lay exhausted, panting for breath, from the tiresome ordeal they'd just been through. Each was covered in a mixture of sweat and seawater, but Shaad and Alexander stood gallantly as if sprinkled in a light mist. Many on the ship could give orders, but none possessed the combined knowledge of weather and ship mechanics to the degree necessary to lead the ship's navigation through the treacherous storm of suddenly appearing whirlpools and an impossibly close geyser that buffeted their journey quite like Alexander. It was thanks in large part to that very, well trained skill set they all survived and he knew it, the cocksure grin he wore beaming with pride. The other half of that equation, Kayden, loosened his grip on the wheel spokes. His stone muscles stung from the exertion it took to maintain control of such a large ship maneuvering through a natural land mine of sorts, especially considering he had to keep sure not to accidently overdo and tear the wheel off completely. But, when Ray offered to take over, he politely declined, a content smile on his lips as his muscles could finally relax.

"Casualty count!" the senior most White Knight, an older gentleman with a single lightning shaped streak of gray hair running through his fading black hair opposite the scar and eyepatch on the left side of his face, called loudly, his voice commanding and befitting a man of his size. With the multiple battle scars adorning his muscled arms and the cross cut on his cheek, he looked every bit the part of a career soldier with decades of firsthand battle experience.

"No one of importance." Shaad answered, waving away the inquiry like an inconvenience. "More importantly," Shaad muttered as he moved nearer the only two still left tied up. "I guess it's time I grant you that favor. You should have a few hours to move freely." With those words, the ropes that bound Bo and Mino fell limply to the ground.

Bo rose slowly, but Mino practically jumped up. Shaad held his arms out to hug her as she ran forward, the ties on her wrists falling off as she ran past him, stopping in a meek bow behind Alexander. "Young Prince, are you all right?"

"I'm perfectly alright, quite well indeed; it's been too long since I've felt the rush of maritime command."

"And it'll be a while yet before you feel it again. That whole scheme was crazy." Bo stated coldly, his patience short as he moved to the head of the deck while loosening his stiff muscles. "All men. . . Stand file!" he barked, his voice commanding and distinct over the baseless chatter occurring on deck. Each of the exhausted men heard his voice, but none registered the command, bewildered expressions donning the lot of them. Bo gave a low growl of frustration before issuing more contrite edicts. "Lines! NOW!" The entire group was still confused, but from their time training with Andreas, each man knew instinctively what to do and executed it flawlessly, forming up in perfectly straight and even rows in a matter of seconds with the White Knights collectively heading the entire formation. "Well at least he trained you well." Bo muttered, turning his attention to the prone form that was Leon still lying on the deck. "Leon, stop sleeping and get over here."

Leon stirred, but made no effort to rise to his feet, giving a low grumble before responding in his usual tone. "I ain't got nuttin' ta do wit ya little dance routine."

"Now." Bo's voice was cold and even, and as if emphasizing the seriousness, Ray appeared over Leon, looking down at the brash swordsman with an expression telling Leon that this was no joke.

Leon grumbled again, this time more loudly, as he tiredly rose to his feet, moving through the former rebel's ranks with no concern for order as he went towards Bo. "If dis 's what I think it is, ya betta not oversaturate the ranks. Matter o' fact, wi' da way you done handled it thus far, I got next."

Bo ignored Leon's message, proceeding ahead with his own agenda. "Once we make landfall, your lives begin anew. All of you have been through a lot and proven your willingness to fight for freedom and what you believe in. It was an honor for us to fight beside you all and the losses suffered that day will not be soon forgotten. In that spirit, I extend this offer: any who wish to join the ranks of my crew, stand proud. All others are dismissed."

There was a moment of pause as each man looked around at the others standing in formation before the first set of feet shuffled, marking the beginning of an exodus of recruits. Once silence had returned to the deck of the ship, only about half of the just under 500 men remained, though even some of them looked a bit on the fence, unsure if they were making the best decision.

'More than I expected.' Bo thought, looking at those who stood their ground. "A pirate's life is not for the faint of heart." he declared. "Those who wish to live a long life, this isn't for you; you're more likely to die of a bullet than natural causes if you follow us. So, I ask again, who here wishes to join _my_ crew?"

At those words, another few dozen men opted to walk away. With so many gone, the lines looked to be in haggard disarray. Bo strolled down the still evenly spaced aisles between what was left of the rows of men, stopping at a meek, plain looking fellow, one that would normally go unnoticed, with a short, scraggly beard. "Now why would you choose to stay?" The question earned Bo a confused stare from the man as well as those nearby, but he ignored them all, raising his voice so that all could hear. "When the attack on Nobella commenced, the gate guards were ready for us, no sign of surprise at all, the civilians had long since begun evacuation before anyone should've even known about our attack, and when the fighting broke out, you were nowhere to be found."

"H-Hey kid," the man stammered nervously, taking a half step back when Bo encroached on him. "I don't know what you're talking about. You're paranoid" Though none would say it, many agreed with the man. He was someone they'd known for years; they'd lived, trained, and fought together. When things were at their bleakest and Andreas was preparing to fight, it was this man who helped galvanize others to the cause. Still, the rebels stood still, frozen by fear and confusion, just listening to Bo's words.

"I specifically requested you to be in the attack party led by Andreas and myself for a reason. A few things about you just didn't add up. Why would such a vocal supporter of revolution hold his gatherings so close to the city walls where the guards could easily keep an eye on them? Why, when everyone else was spending their last few days (possibly alive) with their families, would you alone go out in the middle of the night away from camp and the tunnels? You were a primary proponent of revolution, but when the time came, you stayed in the rear, away from the action, away from where the men you recruited were dying. Why? Explain that."

Bo was backing the man into a corner, both figuratively and literally, looking down on him as he continued trying to back away, to nervous to break eye contact, until he'd backed himself against a wall. But, the man still tried to defend himself. "All of that was coincidence; I only followed Andreas' orders."

Bo's voice remained level, the air about him making him seem larger than his 6' frame as the man attempted to shrink away from his burning gaze. "You have the gall to invoke the name of a man you helped kill just to save yourself?"

"Sir Andreas got himself killed; he was intent on it." the man declared trepidatiously, nearly ready to break down completely. "I was only trying to save myself and my family; get us back within the walls. Information. That's all. They said if I gave them information, I'd be allowed to return. I even tried to convince Andreas not to go through with his plan at every turn."

"Now that the traitor speaks the truth, give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you." Bo agreed that Andreas seemed intent on dying, but there were few, if any, that could attest to the man attempting to dissuade the former White Knights leader at any point.

"I- I have a family. A wife and a daughter. Please, for their sakes let me go." the man desperately begged.

Bo looked unconvinced, leaning in to the man's ear and whispering, "If it was all for your family, why would you want to leave them and join my crew?" Not waiting for an answer, Bo pulled his head back and returned his voice back to its normal tone. "What would become of your family with no man of the house. . . But, I guess your family is already used to that now, aren't they?" Bo commented, turning his back as if the man wasn't worth his time.

"Wait! You can't kill me; you already reported that no one died. If anyone below deck heard that, they'd know something was up."

"Actually," Shaad interjected, "what I said was that 'no one of importance' died. I think a traitor falls into that category, and I doubt anyone here would disagree."

As if extending from the shadows, two arms reached out and grabbed the man, pulling him into darkness, his desperate pleas muffled by a hand over his mouth. Both Bo and Shaad had already turned their backs when it happened, but all of the rebels on deck were in shock over the sight of what looked like an apparition pulling a man to Hell as well as the revelation that one of their own had been against them and for so long.

"Re-form lines. Divide by attack party. Those with medical or culinary training branch off." Bo commanded, snapping the men from their collective daze, as he returned to his position between Leon and Ray at the head of the ship, with Mino and Alexander on the raised deck behind them. "Okay Leon, you get your wish. Choose who from your party you want to join the crew."

"Yeah, re~al funny." Leon scoffed, squeezing Bo's shoulder in his powerful grip. "I ain't yet healthy nuff dat ya wanna test me." Leon loosened his grip and pushed ahead of Bo, scanning the faces of those from his division with a dangerous grin, recognizing each of them as men that clashed and survived against the ShadowKnight forces alongside he and Kayden after being given the chance to leave. "Deez fools are definitely fuck'd in da head."

Bo took that as a resounding yes, and redirected his attentions to his own group, walking through the lines and more carefully selecting men he felt would be good additions to the crew and would be able to learn and get stronger.

After making his own selections, Bo looked to the fragment of the central division. The first thing that caught his eye was that all but a couple of the surviving White Knights remained in their positions, looking forward with the utmost confidence and determination. Bo approached the leader and silently looked into his one good eye for a second as if looking for answers in his very soul. "I'd be glad to have you all on board, but I'm surprised you'd go from protectors to pirates."

"We all chose to be warriors and were raised to fight. We find honor in righteous conflict, but I fear there's no place for that type of mindset if we choose a quiet life. Despite being pirates, you obviously live by a code and carry yourself with pride. That is to be respected." the leader's voice boomed with a deep, commanding base as he held a closed fist to his breast in respect and all of the White Knights behind him did the same in unison.

"I think you may be mistaking me for Ray," Bo briefly jested, "but I can assure you I'm not a fan of pointless conflict though fights will surely not be rare." Bo flashed a brief smile, taking a step back to take in the entire group, primarily those lined up behind the White Knights. "If you'll vouch for these men, I'll gladly accept them."

"Sir, all of these men are ready for whatever is to come."

"Then, these men are your responsibility. Don't disappoint." The White Knights once again showed their respect and thankfulness with a simultaneous salute, this time mimicked by the men behind them as well. "Ray, what's the final count."

Ray took a quick second to scan the group that would be a part of their crew and come up with a finalized tally. "After Shaad's last cuts, we have 169 new members."

Bo nodded his head in understanding before Ray's statement completely registered. "Shaad's last cuts? Who gave him permission to make any cuts?"

"I gave myself permission." Shaad's voice resonated from behind Bo as Shaad moved almost in an instant across the ship's deck. "You don't want those few on your crew. Their confidence comes from numbers; a few others fall, so will they. Don't worry, I already picked 'em out for you." Shaad sounded proud, as if he'd just done Bo a favor, and while Bo didn't appreciate his 'help', there was no reason to doubt his judgment, except to question his sanity, since he'd actually watched over that section's fight. It very well may have been possible to just get lucky and survive with Shaad present, and Bo already knew the swordsman's presence had indeed prevented a mass more casualties on the center battlefield.

"Fine." was the simple response offered by Bo.

"Good. Now, it's about time I tie you all back up; the timeframe for this favor is about to come to an end." Leon was about to react and Shaad was ready to take care of it, but to his surprise, when he looked over his shoulder, Leon was already slumped over on the ground, Ray standing, hand raised, behind him.

"Tranquilizer from Rose; she didn't want him suffering further injuries unnecessarily."


	4. Chapter 3: Fair or Foul

**Fair or Foul:**

 **This Wasn't in the Plan**

The ship arrived in port of the Marine base without much more incident. Bo and his direct crew (minus Ray and Rose) stayed loosely bound to the main mast for most of the journey with Rose attending to them on a regular basis, usually assisted by an enamored and distracted Kaleb, aside from particularly dark nights when Shaad would release all of them except Leon for a few hours, so they could move around, to prevent muscle atrophy.

Once the ship passed through the large set of steel gates leading within the massive walls surrounding the base on three sides opposite a large mountain that the base seemed to be built into, it was as if they'd been cut off from the outside world, isolated and alone in enemy territory.

"This isn't a regular island base; this is a stronghold." Shaad stated, a slight pause in his speech as he contemplated their next action. The plan was designed for an easy escape on open water, but with a squad of men controlling the gate opening mechanisms, their ruse would have to hold up until they could get in and out of the base and have time to spare for the gate to be opened and, preferably, closed behind them or else they'd all be in a world of trouble. And, that wasn't even considering the matter of prying eyes they already had to deal with.

"This base began as a premier Marine stronghold decades ago." Mage's voice sounded from above Shaad. Shaad was leaning against the wall of the captain's cabin on the quarterdeck with Mage almost directly above him, looking down from the poop deck, but Shaad knew it pointless to bother looking for him, staying silent as Mage continued. "Over the years, the land was expanded to create housing for the higher ups' families and eventually those of any soldier who wished to use it. They expanded the post again 28 years ago and a last time 16 years ago, turning it into a full-fledged island, to accommodate the merchants and civilians that continued to move out here."

"So a stronghold turned guarded island. That kind of info means you had an assignment out here. What was it?" Mage remained quiet and nonreactive as if he hadn't heard Shaad's inquiry, but Shaad knew there would be no answer no matter how many times the question was posed. "Since you know so much, any ideas on how to get out of here. . . or reason you didn't say so earlier?"

"Command has switched many times in recent years, and the gates usually remained open to make travel easier. The main road is the only surefire way to reach the docks from the base, but it's also the most heavily guarded."

"So, no?" Shaad summarized. "New commander – obviously strict – and no good plan. Damn, why do government led city layouts have to be so complicated? Just once it would be nice to not have to navigate a maze to get somewhere."

As Shaad and Mage wrapped up their conversation, the rest of the crew was just finishing up pulling the ship into the dock, lining it up next to a standard issue Marine vessel in a spot barely big enough for the gigantic battleship.

"Alright, time to get started." Shaad proclaimed, clapping his hands together to attract the attention of the crew and prompting them to gather as he strolled past the main mast, the ropes restraining Bo and company falling to the ground, cut, as he moved by. Alexander and Mino immediately jumped up, following lockstep behind Shaad as he sauntered down the ramp and off the ship.

The trio traveled to the far end of the docks where Shaad left Alexander and Mino nestled in a hidden corner of the dock behind a merchant ship to converse with the dock master and report to the Marines that he'd arrived with the promised cargo. The marine on duty was a fresh faced rookie no more than two years out of the recruits. Shaad could tell the young man was around his age, but had never seen real combat and had probably never been involved in anything more serious than a spar. Shaad approached him with a smirk. "I'm the pirate, Cornelious Rashaad, Vice Admiral Frank Hammer should've informed you that I was coming to deliver a ship full of prisoners."

The marine checked the logbook in front of him, furiously scanning the pages for a note similar to what the pirate before him mentioned, he was sure a pirate wouldn't be at a Marine stronghold of their own choosing, but there was nothing of the sort on the books. His eyes nearly lit up and he unconsciously let out a sigh of relief, fearful of what Shaad may have done if angered, when he finally found something that seemed to match. "Here it is. 'Shit stain trash to deliver worthless pond scum.'" he read aloud, the words eliciting an amused smirk from Shaad.

"I never knew Frankie boy was such a sweet talker. Has he been hiding that side of him all this time?" Shaad joked, a mixture of mock hurt and playfulness in his tone.

"That message was left by Vice Admiral Logan Marx, and it's not scheduled for another week."

Shaad's amusement turned to an annoyed frown at the mention of the arrogant young Vice Admiral that threatened his friends, but he had gained some useful information. "So that's his name? Sounds like somebody has mommy issues. . . Anyway, we arrived ahead of schedule; good weather." The marine looked a bit hesitant to comply with Shaad's wishes, and that was easily noticed by the sly pirate, adding, "So, will you make that call now? I don't exactly feel comfortable around this many marines." He ended the remark with a light chuckle as if joking, but the flat monotone behind his words did plenty to relay the seriousness of his statement, and the young man nervously picked up the den den mushi receiver beside him.

"I have a prisoner transport here accompanied by a Cornelious Rashaad." Shaad waited a moment while the man talked to someone on the other end, settling all the minor details so all bases were covered.

When the call ended, Shaad interjected, "So now I'm reduced to accompanying?", feigning offense in the word. But, before the marine could respond, a loud boom and explosion from the ship where everyone else still was interrupted them.

"Haa; we need assistance now." the inexperienced marine panicked, cowering in his booth and fumbling with the den den mushi and his rifle.

Shaad placed a firm hand over the young man's to prevent the receiver from being lifted, a deep scowl creasing his brow. "No. I'll take care of this myself." He then walked off back towards the ship, marching past Mino and Alexander, whispering, "Ya'll have enough time?" and catching the positive nod in his peripheral before continuing, withdrawing his swords as he moved.

The explosion drew the attention of all those nearby plus some who overheard it and rushed over, but due to the thick cloud of black smoke covering the center of the deck it was impossible to see what was happening. For his part, Shaad looked more pissed than anything, moving to the ship in a brisk walk. He wasted little time in jumping on board, almost immediately being met by a body flying past him as he entered the growing billows.

The body flew over the railing and into the water with a splash, sinking without resistance. Beneath the water, it was quiet. The sounds and chatter coming from above dwindling by the second as the sun speckled surface grew more and more distant. Hair swayed gently, lifting and bobbing on the water, providing a serene frame to the small, lithe body fading into the abyss, the only sign of life being the endless stream of bubbles pouring from the figure's open mouth.

"Everyone ready?" Shaad questioned to the group in front of him, many of whom, including Bo and Leon, were already dressed as marines.

"Almost. The prisoners are being brought up now." Bo replied, complete seriousness evident in his intense stare. "More importantly, are you sure?"

"Of course. No doubt he's a member of Hammer's crew, and they're all hopelessly moralistic. If not for their undeniable strength, they'd be a laughingstock for it." Shaad answered the question with a dismissive wave as if it was all an annoying formality.

"You better be right. If anything happens to Rose, you'll answer to me."

"Sure, sure. Your group just needs to focus on getting into the city as fast as possible."

Just as Shaad figured, there indeed was another figure lurking beneath the water, charged with keeping an eye on the crew. But, seeing Rose's petite frame sinking helplessly, he felt compelled to dive after and rescue the young female marine (as indicated by the Marine insignia on the doctor's coat she wore) who'd merely been caught in the crossfire of the ongoing dispute. Within seconds, Rose was above water, being clutched protectively by her savior, an unevenly shaded light blue fishman that blended seamlessly with the still water, and hacking up the copious amounts of water that had entered her lungs.

While the fishman was distracted tending to Rose, Shaad, along with Bo, Leon, the White Knights, and a figure unknown to any but the original three crew members - all dressed as marines -, escorted the prisoners and captured marines from Hammer's squad from the ship's hold down the main street of the city. Like Mage had said, the streets security was top notch with snipers situated strategically among rooftops and security checkpoints at regular intervals. The group moved through easily with Shaad and Mage at the head. Thanks to Mage's powers, the procession looked to be led by Vice Admiral Tokage and his top subordinate, dressed in nonstandard Marine attire. When a Vice Admiral of Marine HQ flashed his name badge, few lower ranking marines were bold enough to stop him, and even those more scared of their own superior's wrath wouldn't look too closely for fear of offending the imposing officer.

Rose recovered from the staged, but very real, near death experience just as the light sedative she'd taken dissolved completely and almost immediately passed through her system. Mage had given it to her, and though she was hesitant to trust the shady man she once called an enemy, she placed the pill under her tongue and it worked just as he said it would, paralyzing her in a comatose state as the drug released from the dissolving chemical blocked the signals from her brain to the rest of her body, leaving her with only her mind and eyes aware until the pill was gone and the drug completely dissipated soon after. She tried to free herself from the fishman's strong arms, wanting to immediately reconnect with her comrades, but he gently, though firmly, restrained her and attempted to talk her out of any reckless action as well as confirm that she was indeed a marine since she looked too young for the role. Rose was only freed when something large bit into his bottom half, revealing that instead of a fishman, he was actually some sort of octopus merman when two thick tentacles shot up in surprise and pain while the rest instinctively wrapped around the threat, Mino's pet yuda, in an attempt to crush and strangle it.

The merman marine turned his back on Rose to focus on the squirming creature lashing at him with its tail. Rose was unsure of what to do, hesitant to attack a marine but also knowing things weren't looking good for Yuda. She was startled when Mino grabbed her from behind, telling her to get away while she could.

As Rose swam away, Mino jumped into the air, exposing her shimmering blue tail, briefly sparkling beautifully in the sunlight as she performed a somersault and hammered the merman in the back of the head. The blow freed Yuda and sent the merman barreling below the water's surface until he abruptly stopped himself, spinning around with a threatening glare. "Who are you?"

No stranger to intense killing intent, such as that being focused at her in the moment, Mino didn't falter, returning the glare with equal ferocity before the two sides charged each other, Mino circling Yuda's serpent like body as it swam straight towards the merman.

"So that's how you'll choose to play it?" the merman rhetorically questioned, upon not receiving an answer, while preparing for the oncoming attack. When the two sides clashed, he caught Yuda's massive jaws with his bare hands just before they could clamp down on him. But, Mino used that opportunity to swim up from under Yuda's large body and take a swing at the merman's chin with her gold alloy coated staff. With his hands already full, there was no avoiding the deft strike, but he was able to use his tremendous strength, swinging Yuda down and slamming it into Mino.

The strong blow sent the pair careening backwards. Mino recovered first, swimming around her pet and brandishing her staff before mouthing an order that the marine couldn't hear. Yuda shortly afterwards regained its equilibrium, rising up behind Mino in threatening fashion and baring a feral snarl.

The merman flashed an intrigued smirk. "A mermaid that can talk to yuda? You're quite the catch aren't you? I guess I'll have to get more serious." As those words were leaving his mouth, he flexed his hands continuously, drawing in the nearby water. Flinging both of his beefy arms forward at the same time, he released a torrent of solidified arrows. Mino blocked the fierce wave by skillfully spinning her staff, but just as that attack finished, a rotating column of water was rushing towards them from the fluid orb now in his hands. Mino reacted quickly, deflecting much of the blast's force with a shield of water created by an upswing of her staff, but the attack's power was still enough to send her hurtling back a fair distance.

Her opponent, while surprised by how she managed to lessen the blow, didn't show it, almost immediately following it up with another attack. He wrapped all of his tentacles together, creating a tight spiral that ended in a single drill-like point and rapidly swam at the overwhelmed mermaid. The distance between them cut in less than a second, the relentless octopus merman flipped over and began spinning, adding even more power to the crushing attack. Mino, not used to being outpaced underwater, was too stunned to react, and would have been done in entirely by the attack had Yuda not coiled itself around her by the narrowest of margins, taking on the full extent of the attack with its hardened scales. The merman drilled into Yuda with all his might, burrowing the focused tip of his tentacles into the creature's side, but, despite clearly doing damage, was unable to make significant headway against the resolute animal's determination to protect its master, ending his assault with an explosive release of his tentacles. The abrupt action pounded into Yuda's vulnerable side with the force of eight simultaneous punches.

The wounded creature sorely loosened its tense body from around Mino while the merman calmly tread water not far away.

"You're quite skilled. But, neither you nor your little pet are anywhere near the level needed to beat me underwater."

"I don't need to beat you." Mino quickly warned. The statement puzzled the confident marine until an intense pain suddenly shot through his entire body. "Did you forget that yuda are extremely poisonous? Their venom is so lethal even Sea Kings stay away; you're lucky to be alive after this long." She paused shortly before slowly declaring, "But, not for long." Mino was upon the merman in a flash, attacking with a flurry of thrusts using her staff, each thrust capped with a solid point of water.

The marine guarded himself well against the attacks, using an extended lag between later strikes to bring a thick stream of water gushing up between them, almost hitting Mino. In the short time it took Mino to recover and swim around the defensive wall, the merman had escaped. Mino had done enough to achieve her goal of stalling him long enough for Bo and the others to disembark the ship with the captured marines and for Rose to start making her way to join up with the group, though, and with Yuda's deadly poison coursing through his veins, it was only a matter of time until it invaded his heart.

* * *

"Everyone, stop!" The sudden command startled most of the group, causing a small number of collisions as the words traveled through their ranks before Bo continued. "The guard at the gate is. . . blind," he murmured, an unsure emphasis on that last word. "Mage's powers won't get us past him. We need Rose here, now." The urgency was clear as he ended his statement.

Shaad obviously found the situation amusing, quietly jesting Mage. "Can look like a giant, but still hit like an ant." Mage merely grumbled his displeasure at the jab, the sound easily muted by Bo's next command.

"Proceed slowly," he directed just loud enough that only his people heard it. 'And hope Rose hurries.' The group resumed their march, but at a drastically reduced pace, while several blocks away, Rose ran as fast as she could, moving through the checkpoints with familiar ease, as she made her way to catch up with the rest of the crew in time.


	5. Chapter 4: Trouble

**They Find Trouble / Trouble Finds Them**

Bo's group moved as slow as they could without raising eyebrows, but it wasn't slow enough, closing the two and a half blocks to the gates of the Marine stronghold with still no sign of Rose aside from Bo's matter-of-fact declaration that _'she's nearing our position. . . and fast.'_ That didn't change the fact that they were now right at the gate with no actual identification, standing before a rather sloppily dressed marine around Bo's height, but even thinner, with short, shaggy black hair. He wore a pair of pitch black sunglasses and the unbuttoned Marine top exposed a walking stick stuffed in the waist of his pants, but he apparently didn't wear any shoes as his callous feet were free for the world to see.

Considering that, according to Bo, the marine standing guard was blind, Mage attempted to maintain the ruse and get the group inside without incident by talking their way through, explaining that he was Vice Admiral Tokage of Marine Headquarters there to deliver a ship full of captured criminals until a proper prisoner transport ship arrived.

However, the guard didn't accept that, insisting that he simply needed to _see_ Tokage's ID in order to verify, putting Mage in a position where continued negotiation would provoke doubt and inquiry, even going so far as to bluntly state, "If you'd like, I can call Rear Admiral Kusanagi to clear this all up. I've never met the Vice Admiral myself, but she has. Your voice sounds shady, though, so I doubt you want that." The accusation was clear, and it sent a cold shiver down the spines of the White Knights dressed as marines. If he'd figured out that they weren't who they said they were, there would be no other option than to kill him, but that would have the unwanted effect of pitting the entire island against them while they were still at its heart.

Luckily, just as the tense silence turned to a volatile standoff, Rose appeared on the horizon, running towards them at full speed and with her Marine ID already in her hands. She jumped in shock at the sight of Vice Admiral Tokage and unconsciously tensed due to nerves, but Bo gave her a reassuring nod and she refocused on her role in the ploy. With one hand on her knee while the other held up her ID for the guard to see, she panted to catch her breath between words. "The. . . Vice. . . Admiral. . . must have. . . dropped his ID. . . Here's mine. . . My name. . . is Rose Saunders. . . doctor. . . from HQ. . . Identification number. . . 907652."

The palpable tension in the air almost immediately dispersed as the guard flipped through the small identification booklet, lifting up the page of written data in favor of the following embossed page containing precise, studded arrangements. He ran his fingers over the grooves, studying the details, before facing Rose as if he could look directly into her eyes and soul and decipher the truth. "You're a few pounds heavier than listed here." He said the words so matter-of-factly and with such weight that everyone was shocked.

Rose was taken aback and angered by the unabashed candor he showed. "How rude can you be?" she exclaimed, swinging her arm forward to slap the blind marine with all her might. But, her arm was easily caught by the wrist, held tightly in the man's unforgiving grasp.

"You're quite weak for someone trained at Headquarters. You really should step into your strikes more."

Rose, wincing from the pain inflicted by his grip was unable to respond, and Bo looked about ready to jump in when one of the trailing White Knights spoke up. "Release the young miss this instant."

The guard complied, but not without riling even more tempers with the unapologetic bluntness of his observations. "Your intonation is that of common infantry. You've never aimed to do more than follow orders like a good soldier."

The offended individual, along with a few others, looked ready to tear the man apart, but Shaad's muffled snickering off to the side drew everyone's attention and much of their ire. "The way you make judgements from people's intonation and word structure shows a very advanced degree of hearing ability, but I'm more interested in how you're able to read people's size and position based off the force and displacement they exert on land. Mind teachin' me?" The entertained enjoyment from his voice made clear how little Shaad thought of the situation, finding cheer in the overbearing stress.

"You sound like a pirate." the marine stated simply, only adding to the dread felt by most of the group. However, the words had the odd effect of bringing a smirk to Shaad's face as well as Leon's, who thought the entire state of affairs would finally get interesting.

While a whole new feeling of anxiety engulfed the group, Bo tried to intervene, but Shaad responded too quickly. "That's cause I am." he casually informed as if he hadn't just severely threatened the chances of success for his plan.

"Bold; very confident," the guard analyzed. "Maybe I should call the Rear Admiral to test that confidence. I'd do it myself, but there are certain 'restrictions' to me fighting."

"That would be wonderful. I'd love to catch up with the beautiful Miko." Shaad answered with cheer and a tantalizing smirk that unnerved his compatriots as he and the marine seemed to glare at one another.

"He was with the pirates we apprehended. But, due to certain _agreements_ , we can't touch him." Mage's voice interjected with an increased air of authority to end the path the conversation was now taking.

"Vice Admiral, you're overcompensating," chided the guard.

"Just let us in, marine. You've seen the necessary identification, and this scum is getting restless." Mage commanded, his voice rising yet another tier.

The guard smiled in response, unconvinced by Mage's attitude. Nonetheless, he stepped aside and, with a double tap to the imposing structure, gave the order to the men inside that the gates be opened immediately.

The massive doors opened slowly, gradually exposing the massive throngs of marines gathered inside. They were immediately faced with a lineup of saluting and armed marines, all of whom looked to be well trained. It was a display that made Bo uneasy as they walked through the impossibly long pathway. A majority of the group found themselves scanning their new surroundings, most out of wonder as they'd never been inside such a grand facility with buildings intricately built into the mountain while Leon simply counted off the approximate number stationed here, his internal grin stretching wider as that number grew larger and larger. Shaad let out a sharp whistle, knowing there was much more to the impressive fort than initially met the eye, and eager to explore all it had to offer. Their marching came to a screeching halt as they came upon the set of doors leading inside the main building of the base, but the entranceway was blocked by a chubby man that looked to be in his mid- 30's, a pair of round lensed glasses pushed up on his pudgy nose. He was dressed in the standard attire of a marine officer with the exception of a grayish brown ascot complimenting the purplish gray shirt he wore under his marine jacket. Considering the bowl haircut his bright yellow hair was styled into, the air of greatness he carried himself with in conjunction with the cockney grin he wore seemed all the more like something his appearance simply did not merit.

"Good evening, guests." the officer's voice was nearly grating in its rehearsed pleasantness and veiled haughtiness. "I'm Captain Rénar, the second-in-command of this base. My apologies for Mizaru; his people skills leave much to be desired, but he's the best doorman anyone could ask for."

"Not necessary," Mage interjected, dismissing the apology with a wave of his hand. "We just need to deliver these prisoners before they decide to do something stupid." True enough, the effects of the light sedative given to the many weary and broken prisoners were beginning to wear off, and if any of them saw this as an opportunity to escape - or even worse, expose Bo and Leon - the situation could turn troublesome in an instant, especially if the actual marines in their custody began to rise.

"But, of course," the jolly officer responded, preoccupied with another thought. "My men here will escort the prisoners to the cells right away. . . Come join me in my office, Vice Admiral; your men are welcome to the rest of the base."

Mage was hesitant to comply (feeling his control over his powers wane from overuse), but found no reason for denial. Bo, however, placing a baby den den mushi back in the inside breast pocket of the marine jacket he wore, gave a curt bow of his head before interrupting the exchange, providing just the out necessary. "Vice Admiral, there is a matter aboard the ship that requires your immediate attention; Ensign Rose may be of assistance. I'll handle things on this end, sir." Mage turned around, discreetly glancing at Bo in questioning. Bo returned the look with a slight nod of his head, indicating he had the situation under control and that both of them needed to get back to the ship ASAP.

"Then I'll be taking my leave. Apologies for the inconvenience, Captain." With those words, Mage made an immediate about face, stomping out of the base, in such a rush that his powers were barely able to keep up, with Rose hot on his heels. Mizaru made an indiscernible comment as they left, but, in their haste, neither paid him any mind.

Back inside the base, Bo dismissed the rest of his crew and followed Captain Rénar inside. Leon used the opportunity to find the training grounds, not caring one bit about being surrounded by marines, while Shaad almost immediately left sight and jumped up the side of the building using the jagged footholds and dashed into a window about five floors up, and the rest either wandered around the base or left to explore the city at large or merely out of a feeling of discomfort concerning their new profession.

Bo and Rénar exchanged small talk as they moved through the hallways. Bo kept track of every little detail from directions to turns and which staircases led where to how long each hallway was, even noting the contents of any rooms with open doors. They passed by a few lower ranking marines, who each saluted in turn, without paying much mind, but Rénar turned at a crossway, holding up a hand to signal Bo to hold on, when he spotted an eye-catching individual that looked to tower over them both. Standing about a foot taller than Leon, the man possessed muscles upon muscles, which could possibly rival Kayden, literally bursting from the sleeveless Marine shirt he wore.

Bo couldn't hear what Rénar said to him, but assumed it was some command based on the scowl that overtook the unknown man's features, strikingly similar to the ones Leon wore when given direct commands he didn't like. Bo's suspicions were all but confirmed when the man in question gruffly demanded, "Shove it, Poindexter," and shoved the chubby Rénar aside, walking towards Bo and sizing him up with a contemptuous glare as he passed by with a derisive snort.

Bo instantly disliked the man, but he didn't linger on it, shifting his attention to the briskly approaching Captain.

"Please excuse that display. The overgrown muscle head is Commander Bartello Musha; he and Mizaru are loyal only to the Rear Admiral, and they dislike outsiders such as myself. If I ran this base, I'd get those two in line in a flash, but the Rear Admiral just lets their intolerable behavior slide." Bo listened to Captain's complaint with disinterest, only barely catching it when he said, "Vice Admiral Tokage seems to run a tight ship; I'm sure you don't have those problems. . . I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"Lieutenant Commander Zane, sir," Bo smoothly answered. "And I'm sure every unit has its. . . outliers."

"Well said, Zane; you're probably right. We're almost at my office so we can get this paperwork out of the way and complete the transfer; it's right down this hallway."

* * *

"Hey; let us out of here!" Loud screams emanated from the dark, dank passages that made up the base's prison, bouncing off the rock walls until they petered out in the dimly lit distance. The noise spawned from three separate cells that had just recently been occupied by the newly arrived criminals. "We're not supposed to be here."

"You have the wrong people."

The several that were causing the disruption ignored the complaints and jeers of the other prisoners, only getting quieter when two marines approached their cells, both sporting annoyed scowls. "Finally. Now, open these doors."

One of the marines strode up to the cell, mockingly spinning the keys around his index finger, where the person talking was tightly grasping the bars, as if trying to rip them out. An infuriating sneer adorned his lips as he spoke in demeaning fashion, treating the irate group like a bunch of children. "And why would we do that?"

"I've already said it. You've got the wrong people; we're marines."

The watchman's grin widened at that statement. "Oh, really," he asked sardonically. "Do you see the difference in what we have on and what you do," he rhetorically questioned, indicating what they all were wearing, similar rags as the rest of the prisoners brought in.

"The men who brought us in are pirates. They drugged us and took our uniforms," the imprisoned marine attempted to explain.

But, the second guard used that moment to step in and interfere, adding his opinion to the mix. "That's one I actually haven't heard before. You must have been thinking about that one a while. The two marines released a raucous laughter at the complaining group's expense, barely noticing as one of them grabbed at the keys still dangling from the first one's finger.

The prisoner's fingers brushed against the metallic keyring, but his reach was obstructed when the butt of a rifle slammed into his face, knocking him back and drawing blood. At the sight, another of the group immediately jumped to his defense, screaming out, "You'll regret that!" But, his seething was quelled upon being forced to stare down the barrel of that very same rifle.

"And what can prisoners like you do," the guard not holding the gun condescendingly commented, before pulling his partner back and leaving the prisoners to tend to their wounds and stir in their anger, muttering curses all the while.

* * *

Commander Musha exited the side of the base through a steel door directly in the mountain side, immediately being assaulted by the peak hour's sunlight. He raised a hand to shield his eyes as he approached the training fields, a gigantic collection of tournament sized fighting grounds designed to simulate a variety of specific terrains including forests, rocky plains, and even a shooting course. Each fields was cordoned off by posts at each corner with a ribbon of a specific color, depending on which grounds, tied around each post. In the center of them all was an open field of flat land almost double the size of each of the other ones.

Musha looked there, and instead of the normal groupings of marines sparring on the different fields with two or three looking to prove themselves on the so-called 'center stage', there was but a scrum of men being pushed back by a single man Musha didn't know. To the man's back was a large sword stabbed into the ground with a marine shirt tied around the scabbard.

"Come on; are none ya man enough ta take it?"

None of the crowded marines took the stranger's taunt. Having already been introduced to the man's immense strength, they stood back, hesitant, until a small framed female with a wooden sword stepped forward, shaky as she may have been. This drew an amused smirk from the offending party, and he looked ready to make a snarky comment when the rest of the group began making a path, the reason for which was readily apparent.

The stranger looked past the shaking woman, exchanging a fierce glare with Commander Musha and ignoring the crowd around him. "We were playin' a game ta see who could take my sword, but I think we might have ta change da rules for you, big fella."

"I'm Commander Barthello Musha of the G-12 Marine base;" the Commander authoritatively introduced himself, "state your name and rank."

The stranger flashed a wide smile at Musha's formality before responding. "Names Leon Couer, as for rank. . . Well, I hadn't exactly thought that far ahead." Leon's expression grew more predatory as those last words left his mouth, and he drew his sword at the same time Commander Musha withdrew two silver bands from his pockets and slid the two hardened, reinforced brass knuckles across his fingers - brandishing the Latin words 'Fiat justitia, et pereat mundus', which translates to 'Let there be justice, though the world perish' - before popping, and violently chewing, some hard shelled yet highly fatty pellet of something in his mouth.

* * *

The second-in-command of the base, Captain Rénar pulled the den den mushi receiver from his lips and placed it back on the snail's shell, turning to Bo with a satisfied smirk. "Well, Lieutenant Commander Zane, we've wrapped up our initial business, but I do hope you'll stay a bit longer. HQ says their sending high value information over the wire."

"I'm sorry," Bo responded, standing up from his seat, "but my men and I must leave; we have other responsibilities to take care of."

"Oh," Rénar's voice raised an octave, freezing Bo with a penetrating glare as he continued in a foreboding and threatening tone. "But I must insist."

Bo slowly sat back down. It wasn't often he felt so pressured. Unease briefly shown on his face as he half-heartedly returned the Captain's domineering gaze.


	6. Chapter 5: Straight Ahead

**Straight Ahead:**

 **Race for the Gate**

"Leon Couer, by order of the Marines, you are to be brought in for questioning. . . by force if necessary." The hulking Musha declared while flexing his fingers threateningly, adjusting the platinum brass knuckles on his hands.

"I'd luv ta see ya try," Leon coaxed with a predatory glean in his eyes.

Musha popped a small bubble of what he was chewing as if it were gum as Leon swayed lightly on his feet. In the time it took Musha to raise his hands, Leon began making his move. Moving faster than usual, Leon made a jump step to the right before launching himself towards Musha with great speed. Leon swung Akuma-õ no Kiba up, prepared to bring it down on the Commander. But, when Musha twisted his torso as if to block the strike, Leon expertly altered the angle of his attack and swung in from below. Musha, though surprised by the deftness and precision of Leon's movement, was unfazed otherwise and dropped his fist like a lead weight, hammering down on the blade and pinning it to the ground. While a lesser blade would have been broken by the blow, Akuma-õ no Kiba was sturdy enough to withstand it, but Leon was still exposed to Musha's follow up, a point blank uppercut from his other hand.

Leon managed to bring up his free arm to block, but was still launched backwards, though he did manipulate the blade from its pinched position in the process. He tumbled over once before righting himself, skidding a few yards before coming to a complete stop. When he looked up, Musha was already upon him, but that was perfect for his next move. Leon struck down with his sword, releasing a red tinted wave of compressed air directly in the muscle bound man's face. But, that still didn't stop the mighty Musha from barreling into Leon, solid bicep and shoulder slamming Leon's slack jaw shut before driving him into the concrete wall at his back.

Leon felt like he'd been hit by a train, lying motionless in the crater with rubble and chunks of debris falling on his head while he waited for the world to stop spinning and the ringing in his ears to cease.

"Cuff him and take him inside," Musha commanded, turning his back on the unconscious Leon. Many of the marines grouped around cheered at their Commander's victory while those who had never witnessed Musha's strength stared in shock, knowing firsthand that Leon was no pushover. While the cheering raged on, two men approached to apprehend Leon with another handful pointing guns from behind them.

When Leon came to, he expected to see Musha as a bleeding heap from the last attack he was able to get off, but even as the first bit of light invaded his cracked eyelids, intensifying the still lingering headache, he could tell through the haze that Musha was somehow unaffected, save for minor scratches that didn't even draw blood dispersed on the marine's lead arm.

Though he was still unsure as to where he was, upon feeling two sets of hands lifting his arms and pulling him forward, Leon instinctively shoved them off and swung out with his blade in one swift motion. He then lifted himself up, staggering unsteadily on his feet, the blood of the two tasked with putting handcuffs on him dripping from his sword. A malicious grin crossed Leon's face at the sight of eight men aiming their guns at him - though in reality there were half that many - and he struck out at them before turning his sights to the two hulking behemoths standing behind them.

Even with double vision, the four gunners could do nothing to stop Leon, surprising the rest of the crowd and alerting Musha that he was conscious. "You have some ability, but you should realize that you're beaten. Whatever you're hiding, you'll spill eventually." Musha turned to face Leon as he spoke, looking upon the berserker as if he were merely admonishing a petulant child.

Musha's words aggravated and enraged Leon, inciting him to attack the two Musha(s) he saw with a flurry of strikes, but after feeling no resistance to his strokes even though they seemed to hit his target, he realized his vision was acting up and altered his attack method accordingly, opting for wide strokes that covered a greater distance, though it did leave him more open.

Musha showed impressive nimbleness for a man his size in the ways he dodged the edge of Leon's blade, using his brass knuckles to block any strikes that came too close, showing he clearly had a lot of experience fighting against expert swordsman. But, when a sudden migraine pain caused Leon to lose his balance for just a split second, Musha delivered a powerful backhand to Leon's bruised jaw, swatting him aside like a fly and sending him tumbling into the throngs of marines that had previously gathered.

Leon stabbed Akuma-õ no Kiba into the ground to stop his momentum, not wasting a second before launching himself back towards the domineering Marine Commander. However, Musha also charged in to meet Leon, intercepting the debilitating blow with a bone crunching uppercut to Leon's midsection that caused him to spit up copious amounts of blood before being sent to the ground by an equally punishing straight.

"Drop the blade or I'll have to stop being gentle and treat you as a hostile." Musha threatened, looking down on Leon as he struggled to draw breath. Like a sniveling dog, Leon tugged at Musha's pant leg, drawing a disgusted look filled with disappointment and contempt as Musha attempted to shake free of the loose grip, only to see that Leon's eyes still blazed with fury, far from those of a desperate beggar. Musha only barely avoided the tip of Leon's blade as the disguised pirate lunged forward while lashing out.

Leon propelled himself forward with his off hand, like a wild animal on the hunt, attacking Musha with a decapitation blow. A gleam sparkled in Leon's eye as Musha looked ready to jump back again, but the marine surprised him by simply leaning back as far as he could, leaving his front foot in place as a pivot, and rebounding with a jaw shattering hook that smashed into Leon with tremendous force just seconds before Leon's planned reverse swing could come back and end the fight in his favor. The force of the punch sent Leon flying through the air, unceremoniously coming to a screeching halt when his back crashed against the sturdy walls of the Marine base, leaving another crater as he fell limply to the ground.

The training grounds were silent as the heavy atmosphere from the fight relaxed its suffocating hold. Though each of the present marines were nonplussed by the result of the fight itself - including how one sided it all was - their eyes congregated on a single point: a single slit along the indomitable Musha's tricep of the arm he'd just used to cave in Leon's skull, showing he was actually one decisive second away from having his head lopped off, far closer than anyone would have imagined and closer than would have been possible for anyone lacking Leon's ability to seemingly ignore the laws of physics in redirecting his swings.

Leon's usual antagonizing smirk and smug attitude were long since gone, replaced instead by a rarely seen emotion for the jaded massacre man: animosity. Consumed by a blind rage, Leon staggered to his feet, his entire body rising and falling with each heavy, seething breath he took. Playing against the imprint of Musha's fist (with the words 'Fiat Justitia' across the fingers) pressed into his cheek, a feral expression - animalistic in nature - blazed in Leon's cold eyes, refusing to accept the flow of this battle as the whites of his knuckles showed in the tight grip he held on Akuma-õ no Kiba.

Before he could act, though, a small explosion erupted from the base itself, immediately preceding an arrow flying between the two combatants, triggering another explosion that, paired with a familiar, commanding voice, helped to break Leon from his single minded state.

"Leon, stop!" Bo's voice rang through the silent air, shaking the tense scene unfolding before him with its sheer ferocity. His powerful bellow drew attention, but after twisting to shoot an arrow towards the base of the hole in the wall (and the person approaching from there) he'd jumped out of, he disappeared into the smoke and dust cloud created by the explosive arrow launched into the empty space of the crowd. "We have to get out of here." Bo quietly prompted Leon after registering the violent aura emanating from his old friend as well as the fading look of savagery expressed in his eyes. The pair used the cover of the dark cloud to get a headstart in running towards the front gate, but the marines quickly caught on to them when an inflated, almost round, Captain Rénar called out from the hole in the base's wall before jumping down to the smoldering rubble pile, expanding the wreckage in the process. "After them, you simpletons."

* * *

The emergency sirens blared throughout the base, a voice over the loudspeakers summoning marines from across the island. The sudden alarm shocked many, but none more than the 200 or so fresh faced recruits located on the far side of the base whom, having only recently graduated from the academy, had never experienced such an event before. The recent graduates shuffled around in a mixture of confusion and panic with the officers trying to restore order, but that all came to a pause when, in the disarray, a studious looking young man alerted them to the presence of an unknown individual. "Over there! Who's that; an intruder?" The baby faced marine pointed to the entrance doors, everyone else following his line of sight to see who he was talking about.

Lying atop the ornate archway that graced the entrance was Shaad, relaxing under the shade of an overhanging tree, obscure to non-prying eyes. Upon being spotted, the notorious pirate stood to his full height. He could see them muttering to each other on the ground, and the confusion of their voice was clear to his ears, as was one of the recruits asking, "Who is he?" as well as the uninformed replies from some of the young marine's classmates.

'They done already forgot about me?' He thought. "Well, I guess that's what happens when you're not a direct threat for over a year and have been gone for six months.'

'What's it matter anyway?'

It hurts my feelings that they don't learn about me. Why don't they care?' Shaad spoke to himself in an imagined tone of dejection and sad pity which drew an imagined no nonsense, flat expression from the voice in his head before he returned focus to the situation at hand and spoke. "I don't suppose ya'll can just act like you never saw me can you?" The officers drawing their weapons and issuing formation orders to the recruits was enough of an answer as he jumped down to be on even ground with them, fluently drawing and flipping both swords to traditional grip before landing softly on his toes. Without pause, he jetted through all 200 men and women, plus the officers, and slipped his blades back into their sheaths as the entire collection of marines fell down dead from fatal lacerations in the blink of an eye.

'It still takes a bit out of me to move that fast,' he thought while exhaling an exhausted sigh. Turning back to the wide expanse of dead bodies, he lamented, "Amnesia is an important skill; to think, if you'd learned that, you'd all still be alive. It's a shame; some of ya'll had potential." Once he finished the short eulogy, Shaad began running back to the ship, jumping off the mountainside for an initial boost. 'I better hurry back before someone else spots me. I already got what I came for, after all.'

* * *

The marines were right on Bo and Leon's tail as they ran towards the front gate. "Draft formation." Bo commanded, and Leon moved directly behind him and matched his speed step for step while readying Akuma-õ no Kiba. They knew exactly what the marines behind them knew: Mizaru was at the gate, and it would be impossible to fight him and still get away. Bo notched two doubly explosive arrows and fired at the gate's hinges, blowing the whole thing loose. Using the Impact dial he kept wrapped in bandages, Bo sent the entire structure exploding outward and, ideally, created an opening for Leon to attack Mizaru so they could escape unhindered.

What they saw outside the gate, though, was something neither had prepared for. There, on the ground, Mizaru, the acutely aware blind guard, was bleeding out from a stab wound through the chest. Not only did this grant them a free pass through the gate, but it also held up a few surprised marines who stopped to help him, which gave them a chance to really create distance thanks to Leon further keeping them at bay with staggered air slashes that were more flash than actual substance. The city's defenses, designed for protection from outside threats, served little better than cardboard against the combination of Bo's arrows and Leon's immense strength and sword as they made their escape from the stronghold's stranglehold, a hail of bullets whizzing by from behind.

At the same time, inside the fort, Captain Rénar, having returned to his normal size, was still making plans on stopping them, dead or alive. "Stop shooting; you morons. Do you want to hit our men?" He shouted upon hearing the gunfire from outside the base, pausing to give the men time to follow the command before continuing with his edict. "Contact the main gate station! Those gates are not to be opened without MY say! Prepare forces at the docks for containment of the enemy! Inform all checkpoints that lethal force is authorized; shoot on sight! As of now, all troops cease chase and, prepare the mortars. Do not fire on the checkpoints, but know, for every checkpoint they pass from this point forward, you all will know my fury. This city is on lockdown. . . and none shall escape!"

"What's going on?" the Commander, Musha, questioned, having removed both his brass knuckles as well as what he was chewing.

"Report from HQ; those two men are pirates wanted for a myriad of crimes against the Marines and World Government."

"And you just let them waltz out of here?"

"That captain detonated an explosive just as soon as I saw the memo. I made sure to look at what HQ sent over without revealing its contents, but it was as if he still saw it at the same time as myself if not sooner." Rénar explained briefly before turning the accusation around on the Commander. "And what of you? You allowed one to escape when you could have had him custody at any time during your little skirmish." The Captain's observation, however true, only gained him a straight punch to the side of the face that sent him flying into the base wall in place of an actual answer. Almost instantly the captain's body inflated, bouncing harmlessly off the wall before landing on his feet.

With his arm extended, though, Musha did notice the cut on his tricep left by Leon's last attack, prompting him to inwardly acknowledge that, given time, Leon could become quite the dangerous opponent even if he was merely a brute at the moment.

While Rénar wiped himself off and spared a scowl in the Commander's direction, the first round of mortar shots were fired off. There was an eerily quiet break created by the sudden cessation of gunshots at their back, but their escape was made many times more difficult with the nearly constant explosions around them once the mortars started up, pushing Bo's senses to the limit to keep both he and Leon safe.

The mortars, though quite damaging, were difficult to accurately aim at such distance, and in the urban environment, resulting in quite a bit of collateral damage along the main street of the city, only adding to the confusion Bo and Leon faced as they ran with Leon's body gradually reaching its exhaustion point. Realizing Leon was beginning to lag behind, Bo called for him to take up the head while he himself provided cover fire. The strategy worked for a bit, but the mortars were definitely getting closer to hitting, to the point of being an immediate threat when they began ripping through the fronts of buildings just a few feet away from the duo.

A particularly close call came when two mortar shots rained down through the roofs of the buildings just in front of them, the resulting explosions collapsing both structures directly into their path and sending a woman, who had been running along the rooftops in the opposite direction of the pair, plummeting down and straight into the line of fire of a trailing mortar shot.

"Leon, go on ahead. I'll catch up in a second," Bo yelled ahead to his comrade before turning around, jumping off a building and using it as a launching point to intercept the falling woman midair. With her held bridal style in his arms and a mortar heading directly for them, Bo backflipped off the mortar itself, shielding the woman from the ensuing explosion with his own body. The pirate captain grimaced in pain as the burns reached his back and his flesh was pierced by the searing shrapnel. But, through it all, Bo protected the stranger and managed to land in a crouch back on his feet. "Are you okay?" Bo spoke with concern as he set the frazzled and blushing woman on the ground, jumping over the collapsed building in the center of the street to catch up with Leon.

* * *

"Aim your fire ahead of them, you numbskulls!" Rénar commanded in frustration.

"And watch your fire. The Rear Admiral is still out there." Musha chimed in as well.

* * *

It took quite a bit of maneuvering but the duo of Bo and Leon eventually escaped the effective range of the mortar cannons, leaving only the checkpoint guards to deal with. That is, until Bo felt a slash aimed at his ankle tendon, a narrow margin between his being able to continue and guaranteed capture. He sensed the attack just in time to avoid it, but it still meant an enemy had appeared that required his attention.

Though he was still dealing with the recent injuries inflicted on his back, Bo once again ordered Leon to keep going and not to turn back no matter what. Turning around, Bo was visibly shocked. Standing before him was the woman he'd just recently saved from a mortar at the cost of his own well-being. She stopped to return Bo's glare, ponytail of ocean blue hair swaying with the wind. She wore a sleeveless, dark navy top with a thick black belt around the waist on top of a pair of figure hugging blue slacks.

The area was frozen for a moment until two slashes shot from behind Bo and smoothly sliced two multi story buildings, sending both collapsing onto the strange woman, who, with a single slash of her own sword, pushed the towers back without cutting them and angled them to fall harmlessly behind her.

"I told you not to turn back."

"I don't remember you telling me that." Shaad's voice casually sounded from behind Bo. Shaad then walked past Bo, placing a hand on the young captain's shoulder and flashed a reassuring smile as he walked by. "Why don't you just go ahead and let us catch up?"

"Cornelious Rashaad? What are you doing here!?


	7. Chapter 6: Close Calls

**Close Calls**

"Cease fire! If you hit the Rear Admiral, you'll atone with your life." Musha roared.

"Forget that," Captain Rénar objected. "The captain's standing still; bombard him with shots and bring his smoldering corpse here." But, his words brought no compliance and, once again, only wrought a powerful fist colliding into his jaw, ballooning himself again before impacting a wall and landing smoothly on his feet.

* * *

"Cornelious Rashaad," the woman spoke, acid on her tongue, "what are you doing here?"

"Oh, my dear Miko, why do you speak to me with such venom?" Shaad responded in a hurt tone. "I've missed you so much. I heard you've become a Rear Admiral, and that you're in charge of this base. Congratulations," he offered with a genuine smile.

Miko Kusanagi was a shapely woman of fair skin and soft blue eyes, but red colored her fair cheeks as she became more flustered. "Why;" Miko demanded, "have you come to embarrass me again!?"

"Embarrass?" Shaad repeated the word as if it were incomprehensible to him. "At that time our destinies were on different paths, but now I'm sure. . . we are meant to be married." Both Miko and Bo, who remained unmoved, looked at him in confusion as if he spoke in riddles, a madman muttering on nonsensically.

Miko was the first to voice her confusion, "M-Married?" she stammered in shock while Shaad happily nodded his head. "We've met once, and that was a two minute fight."

"See, you remember that moment, too. It was love at first sight."

Before Miko could voice her disagreement, Bo stepped forward and interjected with his own proposal. "Okay, now that we've confirmed he was dropped on his head far too many times as a child, how would you like to join my crew?"

"Hey, I was never dropped on my head. . . At least, I don't think so." Shaad commented, but neither one paid him any mind. Bo didn't care, and Miko was simultaneously too taken aback and captivated by the mysterious gleam of Bo's eyes. Complete thoughts barely formed in her head before they were burned away under the heat of Bo's gaze. Miko was disgusted by her lack of control, but the mesmerizing draw of Bo's stare seemed to have her looking back at herself, her hidden soul, her. . . _true_ desires.

She was only granted release from the almost otherworldly draw as Bo opened his mouth to repeat the offer. "I want you to join my crew. How about it?"

After a few awkward seconds that felt like an eternity for the young Rear Admiral, Miko finally found her voice, and responded with the indignation that had been building inside her. "Why you little -; how dare a mere pirate make fun of me!" Her voice burst from her breast like an erupting volcano causing Shaad's amused expression to falter a bit.

But, Bo remained in firm control, declaring, "I assure you, I'm not making fun. Come on; after a week, you'll be wondering why you'd ever have chosen anything else. It will be entirely of your own volition; it's your choice." Bo's voice wrapped Miko in a comforting warmth while an enticing playfulness danced in his strong gaze, hypnotizing the offput marine. She wanted nothing more than to remain under his watchful gaze, those eyes that saw so clearly through her. To stand, fully exposed, under the light of his eyes was her only wish.

Or, so she thought. An explosion between them caused her to raise an arm to cover her face and lifted the fog from her mind. Rénar, having ripped one of the mortars from a lower ranked grunt, fired off a shot to eliminate the pirates, inadvertently freeing his superior officer from the wiley pirate captain's mental grasp.

Miko used the moment of clarity to rush through the dust cloud between them, appearing before Bo, ready to cut him down. Bo was surprised by her speed and couldn't react in time, only able to watch as her blade closed the distance in a flash. But the painful bite never came. From over his shoulder, a sparkling blade entered his vision coming between the Rear Admiral's sword and himself with no time to spare.

Shaad smiled at Miko from behind Bo as he focused his strength on holding her back from the uncomfortable position he found himself in. With a sudden burst of strength, Shaad was able to push her off without showing any strain, and swung around Bo to attack with his other sword while she was still fading. Miko swung around in time to block the strike, but Shaad parried her sword in a tight circle before tossing it aside, leaving her defenseless at the end of his blade. "Sweetie, would you mind letting my new friend go? Think of it as a wedding gift." He spoke in a friendly and sociable manner, one far too personable for his current act of bargaining with her life. Miko remained silent, a defiant look in her eyes as she glared at Shaad's irksome smile. Shaad, taking her silence as a yes, let his smile grow wider. "Thanks, babe. And on our wedding day, you'll receive this sword and everything that comes along with it." He flashed a smile as he turned around and prepared to retreat with Bo, at the same time swiping Miko's wrist with the back of his blade to make her drop her own.

Miko waited for them to get out of range so she could pick up her sword and give chase, but the sound of Shaad's voice briefly gave her pause. "Or, I could hand over him and his entire crew, and we get married tomorrow."

The words had barely left Shaad's mouth before he was roughly yanked aside by Bo, though not before toppling a few more buildings already suffering from structural damage in order to further impede Miko's advancement. "Okay; that's enough, Romeo."

"Wait! . . I don't get the reference."

It didn't take long for Bo and Shaad to reach the docks after that, as there were no guards at the guard station, and the lingering threat of Miko on their heels was their only problem with them no longer in range of the mortars, exacerbated into a real concern primarily by Shaad's near constant complaints that they were running too fast.

* * *

"Has their ship been destroyed yet?" Captain Rénar called to the man coordinating the recovery and reclamation effort within the city.

"No reports have come in as of yet, sir." He responded with a salute, his words deepening the scowl already present on Rénar's face.

* * *

When they turned the last corner and entered the main area of the docks where the ship and crew were meant to be waiting, both Shaad and Bo shown looks of surprise at the sight before them.

"Hm. Seems the new additions to your crew are quite competent." Shaad commented with a smirk as he looked at the solid perimeter of men that had secured the docks for their side, anchored by Kayden at the base of a ramp leading onto the battleship.

"So does this mean you've decided to join us?" Bo asked the big fellow as he and Shaad dashed by.

"You betcha," Kaleb sounded, popping up on his brother's broad shoulder. "This is gonna be awesome. The whole world'll know our names."

Bo gave a quick, affirmative nod, positioning himself along the port side rail to issue orders. "All men, orderly retreat onto the ship. Gunners, focus guns on the dock entrance and fire at anyone who approaches." The crewmen immediately complied with his orders while Ray lifted the anchor. The boarding occurred with haste since the ship's guns were covering them, and Kayden brought up the rear, heading to the ship's wheel once everyone was on board. "Shaad, we need a path out of here else this was all for naught." Bo requested upon recalling that the massive steel gates that controlled access to the island were still closed.

"Nothing I can do;" Shaad responded nonchalantly, "I ain't got enough energy to break through nothing that thick." The unexpected answer caused a growl to bubble past Bo's lips and Shaad quickly amended his statement. "I can try, but don't expect a miracle."

With that said, Shaad rushed to the front of the ship while Bo barked further commands. "Man forward cannons! Aim for the center of that gate and await my word."

Shaad heaved a deep breath, gripping both his swords tightly as he clenched his eyes shut and let the sounds of the world fade away. All was calm as he lifted his arms, concentrating fully on putting everything in this strike.

Meanwhile, Kayden and much of the crew worked to turn the ship around and ready the sails for a quick departure once the gate was finally opened. But, with progress slow, all available personnel, headed by Ray, kept the broadside cannons trained on all entrance points for any enemy encroachment and readied their own weapons as well.

With his breathing perfectly in tune with nature, Shaad unleashed a devastating dual slash that rocked the surrounding waters and pushed against the ship's forward motion as it carved into the tempered, layered steel of the gate. Shaad continued to push the attack, biting deeper into the thick material with each press, but his arms began to ache as he reached his limit. With one final push, Shaad released as much energy as he could muster into the waves of his slashes. The attack left a deep scar in the metal, several inches wide and even more deep, but the gate remained firm and unrelenting, daunting with its sheer size and stability.

"Fire every able cannon at the center of that gate! Now. . . Get that damn thing open!" Bo shouted at the top of his lungs, frustration mounting tremendously and knuckles whitening from his tight grip on the rail.

"I told you it wouldn't be that simple," Shaad chimed as he walked by.

The loud bang of cannon shots rang throughout the island, unnerving many of the citizens hidden away in their homes.

* * *

"What was that!? What's going on at the docks?"

"Sir, it seems the pirates are trying to blast their way through the main gate."

"Send our strongest squads to secure their area. They'll never even dent that composite; they're sitting ducks."

"Yes, sir."

"And, where is Kusanagi?"

"She's somewhere in the vicinity of the docks, sir."

"Send word that capture is inevitable." Rénar commanded smugly, an air of confidence spreading his chubby cheeks as he looked at the injured being tended to within the base walls. A couple of doctors were attempting to restrain Mizaru who was already moving around, threatening to rip out his stitches in such an early juncture. 'After I catch these filthy pirates, Headquarters will finally see I should've been the head of this base to start with. Then that blind bastard and that meathead will have to listen to me. And, if by some miracle they do escape, the blame lies with the klutz Kusanagi.' Rénar was extremely proud of himself as his assured victory lay before him; nothing could ruin this now.

* * *

Even after several successive volleys, the sturdy barrier remained unharmed, only surface marks marring its exterior any worse than what Shaad had already done. But, given this was their only way out in such a dire situation, Bo could not let himself be deterred, and ordered they continue firing, exhaust all ammo if need be. He knew full well if this failed, there was no way any of them left this stronghold of their own will. Though some of the new crew was already coming to regret their decision, they nonetheless followed their captain's orders, well aware of the desperation gripping them all.

As more shots rang out, the tension was palpable. But, just as the lack of progress was causing the dangerous feelings of helplessness and fear of failure to reach a breaking point, a miracle occurred: a sliver of light shone in the shadow of the towering gate, a minute crack as the gate worked itself open.

"Continue firing! We'll rip that gate open." Emblazoned by the small showing, the firing squad redoubled their efforts, firing volley after volley with renewed vigor until the gate was halfway open and moving at a steady pace.

In only a few minutes, the massive gates were fully open and the pirates had begun their long awaited exodus of the Marine stronghold. In their joyous celebration, many barely noticed the gates closing themselves in the background. And, none noticed the figure that jumped onto the rear of the ship from atop the gateway, landing in a crouch.

"So, what took you so long?" Shaad lightheartedly questioned the newly alighted Mage as the ship embarked towards its next destination.

"Two towers, two levers, and a hundred soldiers," Mage responded in short, his demeanor stoic as usual.

"And the problem?"

"Constant bombardment of cannon fire," came the answer, a hint of sarcasm underlying his tone.

"And you're really okay with letting them foolishly believe the cannons opened that gate?"

"I understand my role; I'm a shadow, nothing more."

"You're no fun," Shaad jokingly complained before pushing off the railing and walking away. "Where to next, I wonder?"

* * *

"Based on this map, we should head here." Alexander pointed out the proposed location on the map Bo had sprawled out on the table. Bo had gathered Ray, Alexander, and Johannes, the military commander and newly appointed quartermaster of the crew, in his quarters to discuss the crew's next destination.

"That's the farthest island; we don't have enough supplies for a trip that long." Johannes protested the viability of the former Prince's choice before pointing out a far more direct route for consideration.

"That, sir, is where the Log is pointing. The Marines will be on us in full force now; if we can shake up the route, all the better. Assuming this map's cartography is accurate, of the three possible destinations, this is the safest route. No immediate worry of the Navy, no shallow waters through narrow passageways, and no unknown sea monsters. It's all smooth sailing outside of the giant maelstrom. And, while it may be a close call, there are more than enough supplies for such a voyage."

"Alright then, the navigator has set our course, and I've signed off on it. Ray, inform Kayden of the plan and what to look out for, Johannes, tell the crew our heading; we're going to be stuck together for a long time." Bo issued orders, letting out a sigh as he sat down and relaxed in a high backed recliner.

Before he could get comfortable, though, Ray, having stopped in the doorway, informed him, "Rose wanted to speak with you when you got a moment. That goes for you too, Shaad."

Shaad then popped out from behind the door with a wave, a playful smirk aimed at the group. "Well, I'll see you in the doctor's office, Bo, but if we're gonna be at sea that long, I'm moving in with Miko to make sure no one gets any funny ideas."

It was hard to tell who was most upset by Shaad's comment as both Alexander and Johannes shot to attention, glaring daggers at the uninvited guest while Bo exchanged a glare of his own with the brash swordsman as he passed by him in the doorway.

"She's in the ship's hull." Ray called after the pair before departing himself alongside Johannes, leaving a still heated Alexander alone in Bo's cabin.

Bo and Shaad walked together through the long corridor leading back to the hull. Bo was content to stay silent, but the thoughts running through Shaad's head quickly became vocal. "Okay, I can understand why someone would need to see you; you're the captain. But, why me?"

"Rose is there with Mino. Maybe they're going to confront you about drooling over that marine." Bo offhandedly remarked without so much as a sideways glance.

That comment, though, did manage to fluster Shaad, getting him to stammer like an idiot for a second before he was able to form a complete sentence. "I was not drooling, and you just keep quiet about that whole incident, and I won't out you for making goo goo eyes at her, either."

"Not that it matters, but I wasn't 'making goo goo eyes', I was taking precautions."

"What; by trying to impregnate her with your eyes!? I've seen less electricity in a thundercloud."

"No," Bo stated stiffly, becoming irritated with Shaad's line of thought, or lack thereof. "Now that the Marines are really after us, they'll be keeping a close eye on our actions. With that, they'll eventually uncover that Alexander's no prisoner, not to mention Rose's involvement. I did that to sow seeds of doubt in her. With the amount of control I was able to wrestle from her, she'll fully believe that, given enough time, I could brainwash her into joining us. Once that rumor spreads, they'll be no reason to hide them in the background anymore."

"Smart thinking," Shaad admitted as they neared the steel door that was the entrance to the hull.

"But, if that doesn't work I'll just try to distract everyone with your playboy ways," Bo countered in a rare moment of lightheartedness.

"Don't even play," Shaad demanded, his voice raising a bit. "There's no reason to mention that. I'm not a playboy; I'm just. . . happy to be back on the ship." Shaad's tune and demeanor instantly changed when Bo spun the wheel on the door and opened it. Though he came to regret those last words as well as he was met unceremoniously by Mino in a huff.

"Why didn't you mention how strong that fishman was?" she fumed, Rose, Leon, and an injured Yuda behind her. "He broke some of Yuda's ribs."

"Wait; you fought him? You were just supposed to distract him. How'd you even escape?"

"Yuda had bit him; the poison finally took effect just in time."

"Did you see him die?"

"We have more immediate things to deal with right now," Rose interrupted, stepping in between the two and physically separating them. "Leon's jaw is fractured, at least two ribs are cracked, and he has a concussion."

"Damn, did you run into a train?"

"This isn't funny. Yuda suffered broken bones and a bruised side, too. You two need to get on the same page with the people involved in your plans or else things could be a lot worse the next time.

"If not for most of the crew escaping when Leon started his fight, it would have been worse this time." Ray informed, stepping through the door and into the shallow water in the room. We were lucky to all get away; there's nothing more to be said. So, what happened in there?"

"Leon and I have bounties."


	8. Chapter 7: Strife and Struggle

**Strife and Struggle**

"Hey, give that back!"

"Too late, it's mine."

"You already ate your portion! You can't just steal others' food; we're all hungry."

"Shut it; I deserve more than weaklings like you."

"Both of you, shut it!" Johannes roared, snatching their shoulders and jerking with such ferocity that the piece of meat in question sailed overboard into the lapping waves below. They both jumped at his sudden approach and stared at the Infantry Commander with stunned alarm, sinking in his massive presence. "You sound like children! All of us deserve more, but we have to live with what we have for now."

Three weeks had passed since the escape from Miko Kusanagi and the Marine base. Energy and morale were at an all-time low while, conversely, the collective levels of stress had never been higher. The weather thus far had been abnormally calm by Grand Line standards, a fortune they could only hope lasted, but the number of internal squabbles had been increasing dramatically since late in the first week of their journey when Ray made a startling discovery during one of his routine checks of the ship's supplies: they were depleting their available food supplies at an alarming rate, and if it kept up they'd be completely out of food only four weeks into a nine week journey.

Upon making the find, Ray mentally slapped himself for not doing the checks earlier, but things had been quite hectic on board with their rapid departure, all of the new people made official crew members, and not to mention Leon had been still recovering, which made him more of a hindrance than were he fully healthy. Though Alexander's claim that there were enough foodstuffs to last the entirety of their chosen voyage may have initially been true, at the time, each of the three prodigies and four skilled strategists in on the decision overlooked, or were unaware of, one key detail in their haste: in order for that prediction to hold, a strict rations plan would have to be instituted. By the time any of the four realized the oversight - which was quickly confirmed by Ray -, a significant dent had already been put in their stores, forcing a far stricter rationing policy to be enacted. One that spread their available ingredients thin and pushed a number of hardships on the unaware crew.

With tensions rapidly heating up, so to did tempers. Even Johannes and his former White Knights, who - more used to such straining conditions than their compatriots - initially called for patience and calm, as their bellies grew emptier, their frustrations simultaneously boiled over. As a group they'd basically been assigned the role of overseers and were tasked with quelling any petty squabbles that may be sparked before they had the opportunity to erupt into full-fledged fires.

Under the conditions, Bo had become even more of a recluse, and stayed mostly within his own quarters, having not even eaten in the past three days in order to at least incrementally ease the pressure on the crew. Mage, who had been withheld or without food for weeks at a time, similarly fasted for days at a time, quickly reverting to the visually near death state each spell he'd been in when Leon initially released him from a cell on this very ship only a few months ago. It was hard to tell any difference in Shaad, lazing around doing very little if anything, but he had foregone every meal since the discovery was made, driving his body on the replenished energy stores he held. But, that left little energy available for any strenuous activity and greatly reduced the benefits of his constant lounging as well as making his regular movements sluggish and draining. Ray sacrificed where he could, but he played too integral a part in the ship's and crew's functioning to be too low on energy at any time, same for Kayden and the White Knights. The rest of the crew, meanwhile, begrudgingly went along with the forced cuts, though with growing murmurs of discontent while Alexander was vocal about his displeasure behind closed doors and adamantly refused to lower himself any further whenever the idea was brought up.

"Why do we even have to go through this?" one of the crew, a gruff and portly middle aged man with an unkempt mane of dirty brown hair, complained to those around him as they ate their measly rations by the ship's bow. "We should just turn the ship around and head for the nearest island." The man's words earned him a few nods of agreement, but they let up on the issue when, Kray, one of the more unstable members of the White Knights approached, head covered by a loose rag and scarred chest exposed to the sunlight.

He leaned in close and flashed the group a gap toothed grin. "Hold your tongue or loose your hands. Empty words spawn full threats." Kray then dropped a sizable plate between them and walked off with a wide smile.

Digging into the extra food like wild animals, the group continued to murmur amongst themselves when one came up with the brilliant idea, "He's right. We should go ahead and do it. Everyone will be happy; our stock in the crew will skyrocket."

"What?" one of the others dissented. "You want to listen to 'Krazy' Kray? That's crazy."

"Kray is almost as strong as Johannes. With him on our side, we can definitely do it."

"Plus, none of that little inner circle will even know. Alexander and the Captain are hardly seen, and Ray's too busy. We just need to convince Kayden to gradually turn the ship around, and we'll be at the closest island by the time they even realize what happened."

"We'll be the heroes of the crew."

"Fine, I guess you're right."

"So, when do we do it?"

"Now is the perfect time. Shift change just happened and everyone's too preoccupied with their own thing or their food to pay us any mind. And, Kayden went to the wheel just a little while ago to avoid a counter-wind."

Just as the group got up to move, all action on the deck seemed to freeze for a moment as all eyes converged to a single point.

"What's he doing out here? It's the first anyone's seen of him in two days."

"Beats me."

"Shh, it looks like he's about to say something."

Silence spread as the crew gathered in the middle of the deck, everyone's attentions squarely focused on what Bo looked ready to say, his eyes demanding undivided attention and his mouth stretched into a borderline scowl. "I am the captain of this ship," he began slowly, the seriousness of his tone perking up each person's ears as the surprising bass resonated across the ship without need of any amplification. "You all willingly agreed to serve under me despite my perilous warnings. Now, because of a little inconvenience, some of you have the gall to plot what essentially boils down to a mutiny and attempt to usurp my explicit directives." Bo paused to let his words sink in, his expression morphing from a scowl to one of sardonic enjoyment, the wry grin flashing to those below. "I'll let you all in on a secret, nothing happens on this ship that I'm not aware of. Therefore, I invite anyone who has issue with my captaincy to step forth."

There was an extended pause as the gravity of Bo's words smothered the crew, each person especially stunned as they'd all had their share of doubts at least once over the past two and a half tumultuous weeks and feared the implied threat behind Bo's tone and demeanor. But, no one stepped forward, every person nervously looking around, internally hoping for someone else to take the blame and save them from mass extermination.

Bo let a satisfied glimmer grace his features, showing in a threatening smirk that flashed his canines for effect as the portly man from before stepped forward, flanked by his motley contingent of cronies. "You're nothing but a selfish, egotistical liar and madman," the man declared to a mix of stunned silence and spread out claps of agreement. Bo couldn't hide the expression of dark amusement that settled on his face at being so brazenly challenged. "You're not fit to be captain; you only care about your own gain at the crew's expense. We need somebody who's for us!" The man stuck out his chest proudly as he finished his tirade of biting criticisms to numerous vocal supporters, emboldened by his bold showing.

Bo released the upper railing, relaxing his posture and allowing the disturbance to settle before speaking in a less harsh tone. "I think I'm quite a bit more than a 'selfish, egotistical liar and madman'," he snidely commented. The almost joking manner with which he said it and the cocksure grin he wore unsettled and unnerved the multitude of unsure crew members looking to him. Both those who had voiced their displeasure with, and objections to, Bo's leadership as well as those who remained on the fence backed away, making ample room for the imposing captain, as he slowly and deliberately strode down the short stairway leading from his quarters to the deck.

Once on the same level as the majority of his crew, Bo scanned over each of their faces in turn, expressing marginal amusement at their expressions. He then locked eyes with the portly man responsible for the outburst. "Tell me, how do you think not eating for three days benefits me? What about a half starved crew? Infighting? Insurrection? Huh? Got any answers?" Bo bullied the older man accusingly, backing him into a corner both literally and figuratively. "Please, enlighten me, oh wise one."

Johannes jumped between Bo and the crewman, hand raised calling for peace. "The crew is just on edge. Their stress is speaking for them."

"That's some well-timed stress to simultaneously affect so many, I must say," Bo disputed. "Oddly specific, too. If it wasn't some idiot spouting it, I might agree with you, but there are numerous people on board eating significantly less than any of them, yourself included, and yet none of those people seem to be having such problems."

"That's enough, Captain," Johannes raised his voice. "You've made your point; this is not the way to handle this situation."

Bo then turned his eyes to the crew's Infantry Commander, lips morphing into a twisted grin. "Are you also questioning my leadership, Mr. Johan?"

Johannes' expression shifted to one of mild anger but he looked to back away from his comments, if only slightly, though he stood his ground in the face of Bo's challenging glare. "Yes, he is. We've all had enough of your tyrannical rule, and it's time we took action. There's over a hundred of us and we have the backing of Johannes and Kray on our side. You and your few don't stand a chance." The main instigator of the rebellion boasted, jabbing his finger threateningly in Bo's face.

The crazed, demented laugh that bubbled past Bo's lips and burst from the depths of his belly both scared and infuriated the man and his immediate group. Johannes stood stunned at having his name thrown into the mix and Kray stayed off to the side wearing a crooked grin around the cigar stuck between his thick lips. The rest of the crew did what they could to move away from their seemingly unstable captain without drawing his attention as Bo settled his own exuberant laughter. "If you want my captaincy, I invite you to take it. I may not be the strongest person on this ship, but there's a reason I'm the captain and there's a reason they choose to follow me." Bo gestured outwardly with his arms, pulling the men's attention to the ship's edges where Kayden stood at the helm with arms crossed and looking sympathetically at the scene, Ray was stoic but worrisome from his position off to the left of their helmsman and shipwright in a separate corner while Shaad hoisted himself up in the right corner. A bandaged Leon, along with a regally poised Alexander, occupied the remaining two corners, both looking on with keen interest, Alexander accompanied by Mino at his side. Rose, meanwhile, stood straight to Bo's back wracked with both worry and a nervous tension. "I extend a challenge to any willing to take it. An all-out fight between yours and mine would do irreparable damage, but to any who wish to be captain, fight me. . . one - on - one. You win you're captain; lose, and I kill you. Any takers? Johannes? Kray? Charli?"

Leon leaned forward on his sword, a sadistic look of enjoyment to his features as he fully hoped for Bo to let loose and go wild. Alexander and Shaad wondered what Bo had planned but resigned themselves to watching the events unfold. And, Ray silently implored Bo to control himself while the rest of the crew were all in similar states of surprise. Kray maintained his wry smirk, removing the cigar from his mouth to say something but returning it with only a wide smile as if thinking better of speaking at the moment. Johannes remained completely silent, taking a couple of steps backward and averting his gaze from Bo.

Nonstop murmurs permeated the air of the ship as Bo glared furiously into Charli's eyes, actually ignoring the finger in his face aside from a quick glance, attempting to coax the portly man into making a choice, preferably a stupid one. But, Johannes grabbed the finger and swiftly wrenched it down, silently advising him to stand down. Bo took the opportunity and stood up erect, scanning the faces of the remaining crew with a mad leer. "Will no one try me? I thought you disapproved of my captaincy. Now's your chance; beat your problems with your own two fists."

Bo's continued provocation incited increased levels of tension and unease in the crew, but as the thick air settled among them, a call from the crow's nest immediately cut through the budding tension. "Uh guys," Kaleb's voice was oddly slow and hesitant as he spoke, removing the spyglass from his eye at the same time. "I think we should hold off fighting over the captaincy for a moment."

"Wh-y?" one of the crew questioned, his voice petering out as he turned in the direction Kaleb was looking. His jaw dropped and sweat immediately formed on his brow as, just over the horizon, he was barely able to make out the hauntingly familiar figurehead of a snarling bulldog rising into view and quickly becoming clearer.

Looking for a way out, much of the crew looked forward to assess their path, but their hearts immediately sank as they beheld a terrifying sight. Through their internal strife and the distraction provided by Hammer and his men suddenly appearing, a giant maelstrom had gone unnoticed as they now approached the threatening storm at top speed.

"Marines!"

"They're gaining fast. What are we gonna do?"

"We have to fight."

"No; don't you recognize that ship? We can't fight him."

"Then what do you suggest?"

The crew was in mass panic. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, so to speak, they threw out half-assed solutions one after another amongst the fearful cries that filled the air, frantically attempting to come up with a solution to the bleak predicament even as Hammer's ship quickly cut the distance between the two parties.

Still off in a corner, Mino leaned in to Alexander and proposed the one thing she could think of. "That's suicidal;" Alexander yelled out, drawing the attention of Bo and a few of the other more composed crew members. "A ship this size can't possibly manage a maneuver that risky!"

"Unless you have something better, it's going to have to. It's all we have at this point." Bo alerted Alexander.

Alexander swallowed a bit as he composed himself for what they were about to try. He sucked in a deep breath and began booming orders in an urgent, authoritative tone, immediately halting the hysteria and gaining compliance. "All hands to your stations! Pick up your jaws and move your asses; we don't have a second to lose! Mino, go to the helm, you'll be relaying my orders to Kayden. Grab Ray and Johannes on your way; we'll need their strength." Mino took a step back and gave an obedient bow before departing while the rest of the crew rushed to and fro to get in position.

Without wasting time explaining his plan, Alexander called out the next step when everyone was ready. "Half sail! Pull the ship slight left!"

The designated crewmen worked to rapidly reign in the top sails, and Mino repeated the necessary commands, nodding her head when Kayden lined the ship up with their new heading. Johannes, though, looked questioningly to the Assistant Navigator. "What are you planning? We're heading closer to the maelstrom."

"That is the plan. We're going to ride it to the other side," she responded shortly.

"Well," Shaad turned around calmly, as if he'd just finished watching a sunset. "I think I'll be heading inside." But, before he moved past the wheel, he stopped by Mino and whispered, "I would offer to stay with you, but. . . I'll leave the aquatic activities to my little water princess. I'm not nearly as graceful in the fluid arts."

Mino scowled in response to Shaad's smirk, but ignored him as he proceeded below deck. "Line the ship up with the waves; follow the wind and take it slow."

"Drop all sails! Get down and hold on to something!" Alexander's voice rang like a siren, alerting the crew to act quickly.

In the meantime, Bo looked past Alexander and at the Marine ship closing in on them. It was almost in firing range, and he still hadn't gleaned what Alexander and Mino were up to. "Rose, go inside. Tie down your supplies and find Shaad. Take Kaleb with you," Bo called to the young doctor behind him, advising her to be ready for whatever was coming next. "Leon, come with me; we'll take care of the back."

The ship picked up tremendous speed as Kayden carefully guided it into the powerful current of the gigantic maelstrom. But, the sudden increase was too much for even the stone powerhouse, and the wheel jerked from his grip, pulling them deeper into the overpowering force. The ship raced across the waters with the speed of a rocket, the maelstrom welcoming them with a fierce roar, growing louder as they approached the dark, abyssal core. Kayden wrenched against the overwhelming force with all his might, but was barely able to budge the wheel. Johannes and Ray soon joined the effort, each grabbing on to a spoke or two and turning against the rushing current in sync with one another. Slowly, but surely, they began making headway. It was a race against time as they simultaneously grew nearer the center and their doom as well as closer to escaping the fierce storm and the pursuing marines altogether. The wooden wheel could not bear the opposing forces, first squealing, then creaking and splintering before ultimately snapping off the steering mechanism completely.

"Ray!" Bo's voice called from behind the four at the helm almost just as the wheel snapped. Ray promptly turned around, catching Bo's wapometal staff and turning to jam it into the steering mechanism in one fluid motion.

Kayden, Johannes, and Ray leaned on the strong, sturdy, and flexible metal staff, pushing the stuck steering controls in the opposite direction, and though they had some success in the desperate venture, the few precious seconds they lost in regaining their lost leverage proved fatal as the ship nonetheless careened unrestrained towards the dark, swirling center of the howling maelstrom, swallowing them whole with unrelenting ferocity.


	9. Chapter 8: Are We Dead Yet?

**Are We Dead Yet?**

 _Thmph. Unghh._ 'Could've been a smoother landing.'

"Stay right there, intruder! Who are you, and how did you get here?"

"I fell..." Mage groaned out sardonically, lifting himself off the gravel and sand ground, surrounded by six uniformly dressed guards with guns pointed at him. "from the sky."

Standing erect, Mage scanned the area. A dozen or so sentries atop the twenty meter concrete and brick walls. Dozens more foot soldiers littered the wide expanse of open ground within spitting distance from the large palace like mansion just up the road, each person keeping a wary eye on the intruder though none seemed the least bit threatened.

'The middle of their barracks? Really?' Mage lamented to himself even as thick plumes of sky blue tinted smoke billowed out from where he stood, engulfing the nearby area and disorienting the men inside it while simultaneously blocking the sight of those outside. Mage withdrew his two special daggers and sliced at the six guards desperately fighting off an illusory horde of savage outlaws, slitting each of their throats in turn against no resistance.

As their bodies fell lifelessly to the ground, Mage threw his arms outward, sending the clouds of smoke and his conjured armies rushing to the tops of the walls. Chaos erupted across the grounds and threatened to spread as panic struck the oblivious soldiers being cut down in rapid succession. While the sentries fought off the unceasing mob in the ultimate act of futility, Mage made his way up as well, unseen by the preoccupied and unaware soldiers. With extreme proficiency and dexterity, each of the sentries around the perimeter fell to Mage's blades just as swiftly as the six guards below. As the body count rapidly increased with virtually no resistance, the remaining guards on the ground fired blindly into the voluminous mass blanketing portions of the area.

Mage jumped down from the walls, descending in a bluish billow onto those who had gathered near the massive metal gate that marked the last step between him and an underground path to the mansion's own grounds. He skillfully wove his way through these latest victims, securing his prize. But, before he could open the gates, they swung outward without bidding and with such force that a portion of Mage's gathered covering was blown away, exposing his form just as a large bisento was swung at him. While he had the frame of mind to block the surprise attack with his twin daggers, the power behind the strike threw him out the other side of the thick cloud and sent him bouncing roughly along the rough, pointed rocks in the gravel.

Mage raised himself off the ground with no shortage of cuts and bruises - all minor - as he bared his daggers like fangs, facing off against the new opponent. This latest foe was many times Mage's size - having to duck down to step out of the large doorway - with a bisento polearm that matched his tremendous frame. The pristine armor he wore glistened simply in the light and left only his joints and face exposed.

"They send up the alert flag and it's only one man. Pathetic," the towering figure growled through hard features, no emotion evident in his stony face, though the scars running over his left eye and the right side of his mouth seemed to twitch slightly as if in annoyance.

Mage glanced over his shoulder and, surely enough, spotted a red flag - a familiar crest emblazoned on its center - flapping lazily in the breeze. 'That shouldn't have gotten past me,' Mage scolded himself, refastening his eyes on the huge obstacle standing in his path even as more armored soldiers poured from the pathway behind heavy shields and blocked the open passage.

Even with only a cursory examination, Mage could tell he had no way to break through the plated armor - reinforced in the chest and legs - of his opponent; he'd have to be precise with his strikes. Lucky for him, that was his specialty. Summoning the blue clouds around him, Mage sent them forward onto his foe, engulfing the large man along with the guards who remained around him.

The armored commander was wary as the smoke limited his vision, and was quick to react when Mage appeared to his right ready to strike. Swinging out with his powerful bisento, the commander ripped through the black clad stranger, feeling the resistance of toned muscle and solid bone before feeling the familiar warmth of fresh blood splattered on his gloved hands. He was momentarily surprised when an uninjured Mage appeared on his left, but quickly caught the intruder with a slash across the chest. Once again, he saw and felt the blood of his victim spurt from the gaping wound as well as the low thud of a body dropping.

When the silent Mage appeared a third time, the towering man held back some, slamming the rounded hilt of his bisento into the figure's torso, sending him flying from the cloud even as Mage appeared to him once again, still unscathed. This time, though, the large soldier ignored his instinct, spinning the humongous weapon over his head, reaching consistently greater speeds, before striking down with the sharp blade as Mage's form charged him from a different direction entirely.

The spinning and powerful strike of the tremendous polearm created a chasm in the ground, stretching out from his blade in a jagged pattern, and blew away the mysterious blue mass, uncovering his allies - including the two struck down by his own hand - as well as a suddenly visible Mage being deterred from his charge by the explosion of gravel peppering his side.

Mage spun out from the surprise and charged for the massive man's trunk like legs, looking to chop him down with a well-placed cut to the ankle. Mage was quickly upon his target, but his blade did little damage as the vital tendon was protected by a durable leather beneath the armor. Quick thinking, kept him from running headfirst into the line of armored and shielded warriors waiting behind the giant, but left him with a new problem: standing completely in the open against an opponent who easily held the reach advantage.

Light blue smoke flowed from Mage's fingertips and footing in fresh waves until billows of the strange substance blanketed the area around him. With a wave of his hand, the cloud rushed past him in a torrent, ripping through the air in a straight path towards the towering foe. The commander would not be goaded so easily a second time, though, splitting the cloud with a single one handed swing of his large weapon.

Mage jumped over the massive bisento, twin daggers held tightly, only to be caught in the grasp of one of the man's gigantic palms. The blow pushed the air from Mage's lungs and loosed his grip on his daggers as he was slammed into the ground and made to cough up blood. He could barely move with the massive weight bearing down on his chest, but managed to wriggle a blade from his sleeve nonetheless, stabbing the Needle Point into his opponent's wrist.

But, releasing an exclamation of pain, the large man pulled his hand back (blade still inside) before Mage could completely slit his wrist. Using the opportunity, Mage sprung up and raced to recover the twin daggers, barely succeeding before being rocked by a thunderous stomp.

Mage dove away from the giant fist that came down next, and threw three knives at the man's face, but was still susceptible to the kick that nearly shattered his ribcage. Reaching under his padded vest, he felt at least three broken ribs, grimacing through the pain as he prepared to continue fighting.

"It's time to stop playing with you now."

Mage slipped the twin daggers back into their sheaths and drew the short sword from the back of his waist as the imposing soldier clenched his hands tightly enough to draw blood. Throwing his arms back, the blood flew to the ground. But, instead of dotting the surface, it drilled into the earth. The soldier clenched his hands again, focusing, tightening his muscles until veins bulged in his neck and sweat beaded from his brow. He swung his arms up, hands open, with a fierce yell, simultaneously wrenching huge chunks of earth from the ground, sending the boulders hurtling at the irksome smaller fellow. "Take this; **Meteor Shower**!"

Mage was injured, and surprised by the large man's unexpected power, but still had a mission to finish. He was ready to end the fight as he weaved his way through the dozens of stones, using one as a launch pad as he turned and twisted in the air, triumphantly exiting the other side in midair and upside down. He was ready to drive his short sword into the larger man's neck, but that thought barely crossed his mind as he spotted a fist the size of his torso streaking towards him as soon as he made it through the rock shower. "Oh. Shit."

 _Thunk._ Mage felt the light impact on his forehead.

"Time to wake up, sleepy head."

Unghh. 'Ugh, why'd I remember that at a time like this,' Mage inwardly groaned as he picked himself up off the cabin floor. He looked to his side to see a smiling Shaad with a grumpy Kaleb close behind and a cowering Rose held tightly in one arm. "Are we dead yet?" he deadpanned.

"No; not yet," Shaad replied without missing a beat. "Now get up; the living have work to do."

Mage scoffed at Shaad's use of the word work before asking, "Where are we?"

"We're in the ship. Where the ship is, I'm hoping to find out once you finally get up." Mage stood up and dusted himself off just as Shaad released Rose and fell clumsily to the ground. "But, you're gonna have to carry me. Consider it repayment." Shaad was good at keeping up a strong front, but protecting, not only himself, but Kaleb and Rose as well, completely drained his already depleted energy levels, and he'd need significant rest before he could even move again.

The ship was leaning heavily as Mage made his way out, dragging Shaad on his shoulder with the two youngest crewmembers trailing behind them. Just as they began to ascend the stairs onto deck, the door opened and a slightly bruised Ray stumbled through with a serious expression and passed them by without so much as a word. Mage ignored it and crossed through the door, stepping aside and laying Shaad out on deck before disappearing into the shadows to investigate while Rose and Kaleb moved on to the dirty beach where most of the crew was recovering from the crash.

The ship lay, completely beached and heavily damaged, on the barren coast, along with an array of debris and wreckage from before their arrival, with much of the crew sitting out recovering and trying to figure out where they were. While some had suffered a broken bone or two, most had gotten away with only minor injuries. In the center of them all, stood Bo, though drenched in seawater and looking utterly drained, calm and composed as usual as he spoke with Johannes.

Upon sighting Rose, Bo called her over, and saw that she had gathered up her bag of medical supplies before exiting the ship. "What happened to Shaad?" Bo questioned her once she got over to him.

"He used up all his energy and fell unconscious," the young doctor explained.

"Okay, have the White Knights gather up the injured by severity, and you take care of the worst of them; just leave Shaad be for now, the captain instructed, resuming his original conversation when she set off to do as directed. "Any idea where we are, or how long we've been here?" Bo asked lowly.

"From what we can gather," Alexander's strained voice chimed in as he hobbled closer, leaning heavily on Mino's shoulder and holding his midsection, "we fell down here when we were sucked into the maelstrom. While it was still daytime when we. . . when everything turned to shit, it's impossible to tell where exactly this all is or how long we were out because this _sky_ doesn't seem to be natural; no stars, no moon, barely any light." he finished, directing everyone's vision to the empty expanse above them.

"Tonight was supposed to be a full moon," Mino informed the small collective that had gathered around the captain and navigator.

While Mino, Alexander, and Johannes further pondered the implications of the revelation, Bo withdrew an arrow and knelt down to light the arrowhead on fire after stringing his bow. Nocking the arrow, Bo primed the shot and set his sights on the air above them. He pulled the string back as far as it could go and held it, letting the tension in the bow build before releasing it, letting it loose like a shooting star in the night.

All eyes were drawn to the arrow as the spark flew higher and higher into the darkness. Bo waited for it to reach the zenith before curving back to the earth, but at some point, the blaze of the arrowhead was extinguished and not even Bo, with his impressive eyes, could track it after that.

"Want to tell us what that was about?" Alexander spoke up first.

"This island seems to be surrounded by some type of permeable, highly elastic dome like a very sturdy bubble or something," Bo explained. "I'd guess we're actually so deep underwater that natural light is scarce here."

"Well, since there's an island here, there must be some source of power."

"I agree, and that's why we need to send people out to scout." Bo responded to Johannes. "Prepare two teams; use the men who most recently ate. One to scout ahead for threats or inhabitants and another to search for repair materials. (You'll have to talk with Kayden concerning that.)" Johannes nodded in understanding as Bo provided further instruction. "Focus the investigation on the direct interior, and gather materials from the flanks. We'll move inward after the area has been searched."

Johannes then went over to where the crew, including those who had been brought from the ship by Ray, had been gathered, leaving Bo with Alexander and Mino. Bo left Alexander to his own reconnaissance for the time being, but informed Mino that she was to go with Mage and gather all information deemed pertinent, ignoring the former Prince's vehement protests as he moved towards the ship to inform Mage of his objective and handle another task that he'd been neglecting recently.

Bo moved with sharp, precise steps through the steep, slippery walkways inside the ship. It took only a short time before he stepped through the steel door leading to the now empty cells of the prison - save for the injured lapahn he'd taken from Alexander's kingdom - and arrived at the lone, nondescript door situated at the far end of the cell block.

"It's been a while since the last time you came down here," a disembodied voice greeted Bo sardonically as he stepped through the doorframe, seemingly familiar with the young captain though sounding as if he lacked a certain level of respect for the rookie pirate. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"I'm here for the same reason as last time."

"Then I have the same answer."

"I've already told you, I will not free you." Bo spoke emphatically to the lean, emaciated figure restrained against the wall by thick, heavy seastone shackles. "But, I will offer each of you food for any answers you provide. You all look quite famished." There was silence in the wake of his proposal, but Bo looked quite pleased at the lack of the outright refusal he half expected. "Then let's start with something simple. Names. How bout it?"

There was still no response for a long while, but the same prisoner, the only one Bo had spoken to, started talking just as Bo was ready to move on. "Aika. . . Michihiko, Auron, Kano, Shiba, Lucy, and Taiga. That enough names for you? Or should I come up with some more?" The prisoner asked, a wry grin crossing his thin lips.

Bo clenched his fists and tensed every muscle of his body to keep from lunging at the securely bound man. In response, the man released a howling cackle at Bo's shivering arms and the thinly veiled ire in his eyes. Bo fought to maintain control, but it was difficult staring into the brash captive's eyes. Not even Leon's acerbic and scornful attitude was as completely mocking and derisive as the person he now faced off with.

Bo swallowed his frustration, though, and moved past the loss, redirecting his questioning. "Fine, what can you tell me about Cornelious Rashaad?"

That question actually received a response. Not from the question's original recipient, however; instead, Bo noticed a quirk in the expression of the prisoner to his right from the corner of his eye. The captive was quick to recover, though, but not before Bo turned to him and pressed the issue. "Hmm, you know something. Tell me."

Even sitting down, the hulking fishman was like a small mountain, compared to Bo's more average frame, with his head nearly brushing the ceiling. And, he showed no fear of the diminutive human, scoffing at the demand. "I have nothing to tell a lowly human like you."

"Not even at the cost of your freedom?"

"Your words mean nothing."

"No, and I probably can't cause you significant injury. . . But, what about Rashaad himself."

"He's here?" The fishman couldn't stop his eyes from widening in surprise, and Bo felt satisfied at the reaction before a dark chuckle of amusement bubbled forth from the giant fishman like a low growl. "And you trust him?"

It was now Bo's turn to be surprised as the prisoner sounded oddly cocky with the conversational turn, but Bo did a better job of hiding the shock he felt since he still didn't really trust Shaad even with what they'd been through. "Tell me what you know, now. Your fate is tied to my whim and if I'm to die, I will send this ship to the bottom of the ocean myself."

The towering captive held his defiant glare even with the level of seriousness in Bo's voice, enjoying to no end the mental hurdles such a haughty human was no doubt jumping through in the prolonged silence. But, the triumphant feeling quickly faded, pressed down by an intense pressure that made it hard to breath. The overbearing wave of such extreme killer intent left the confined space awash, sending shivers down Bo's spine and drawing the wary attention of the fishman to the final prisoner confined beneath the grated floor, unable to speak or move.

"Calm down, bro, he's not serious." The prisoner against the wall stated gleefully before turning to Bo with his now familiar, taunting smirk. "He doesn't take well to threats, and we can't die just yet. . . Things to do and such; you know the type."

Bo swallowed thickly, pausing a moment to compose himself and showing as little weakness as possible. "The issue still stands that Shaad's presence is as much a threat to you as any of us, if not more so." Bo focused solely on the fidgeting fishman - a strange sight to say the least -, not wanting to look at either of the brothers.

The fishman only spared a glance at the brother on the wall, catching the playful smirk aimed his way, before turning back to Bo, grumbling sourly at the position he was now caught in. "Rashaad is a traitor; a coward who double-crossed all of his allies for the Marines."


	10. Chapter 9: Declaration of War

**Declaration of War**

"[Rashaad] double-crossed all of his allies for the Marines."

Bo was stunned by the giant fishman's outburst, though the revelation did go a long way in explaining the _'deal'_ he apparently had with the Marines. Luckily for him, his frozen reaction was overshadowed by the obnoxious, mocking cackling of the most vocal prisoner. "Now, that sounds like a fun fella," he commented once his laughter finally trailed off.

The time that passed gave Bo the opportunity to adopt a more serious expression, shooting a sharp glare at the hauntingly gleeful captive. "And, what would you know about him?" Bo asked accusingly.

"Absolutely nothing; he's an enigma," the prisoner answered in tantalizing fashion, giving the feeling he would've added a hand gesture to visualize the point were his hands not restrained.

"And why should I believe you?"

"We can't have open dialogue otherwise," the prisoner answered with a wry grin. "'Sides, I'm a bit behind on current events if you catch my drift."

Bo mulled the cryptic response for a second, letting the words sink in before replying, "You escape?"

"Good behavior," came the droll reply. Silence crept in before the prisoner alerted Bo, "Seems you have more pressing issues, though. Come back soon," he smiled wryly.

Bo shut his eyes to work through everything, and had to concentrate to avoid the distracting utterances of the talkative, sardonic prisoner. About half a minute passed with Bo standing there eyes closed before his eyes shot open with urgency, and he rushed out the door as if shot from a cannon, sprinting through the ship at top speed.

Bo burst through the door and arrived at the ship's railing where he was met with a highly disconcerting sight. From the tree line near the horizon, scattered remnants of the scout party that had been sent out ran towards them in a mass panic. Less than half of the nearly two dozen men that had been dispatched were returning. But, even more worrisome was the massive horde hot on their heels, swarming over any stragglers like so many locusts over fresh, green plants. The inhuman growl that rose from their number as they speedily approached shook the earth and froze many of the terrified crew.

"Defensive formation on me," Johannes barked, asserting some control over the downward spiraling situation and instituting order in the crew's startled ranks. His composure and ability to bury his initial reaction helped calm the others and inspired some sparse confidence despite the bleak atmosphere.

The crew on the beach scrambled into position while the men on board the ship threw them as many guns, spears, and bolas (for the trained few) as they could in the rush. Bo hardly had any time to assess the situation as what remained of their scout party stormed towards them seeking asylum and the rampaging mob steadily stampeded behind them.

"Focus your fire! We must give our men room to escape!" Johannes stood tall in the stale air of wherever they were, an uneasy feeling creeping up his spine. The attacking horde had just gotten within firing range, and for the first time, their mad visages were visible.

Faces locked in demonic expressions, the inhuman pursuers were relentless, seemingly unfazed by the bullets tearing through their limbs and shoulders and moving forward despite their allies falling and stumbling around them. Taking aim with his bow, Bo locked his sights on a particularly torn and haggard monster, half its face blown off and right arm barely hanging by loose, sinewy fibers. With a well-placed shot, an arrow was fired right through its eye, knocking it back and into another one behind it, the precise arrow sticking into the chest of the second creature, which moved forward despite the dead weight now hanging from it.

One of the things attacking them moved faster than the rest, charging straight ahead no matter the obstacle. When a bullet flew through its shoulder, it continued to move forward undeterred. Even as a well-placed grouping of shots ripped through one of its legs, it hobbled at almost the same inhuman pace on its one remaining leg, still focused on the hunt as a bullet tore off half its face. The constant barrage of cover fire from the crew eventually waned noticeably as the psychological effects of the type of enemy they currently stood against set in, each of them unnerved and discouraged by the unfathomable sight before them. Johannes, though, quickly roused their spirits, prompting the gunmen to redouble their efforts just as he took off the head of one with a forceful bola throw.

As more and more of those hideous creatures fell, so too did a number of the fleeing scout team, pulled down and savagely ripped apart by the attackers, only for some to rise again a short time later, flesh pulled from bone and torn muscles hanging unresponsively, bloodthirsty monsters like those that chased them.

In all the commotion, a frozen Rose was on her knees in the center of the beach. She could do nothing as the scouts ran past her with no regard for anything but their own lives. In her silence, many of the monsters also passed her by, but as a ghastly few beared down on her, she let out an ear splitting scream that drew the unwanted attention of a great deal more of those hideous creatures and brought them converging on her.

She reacted purely on instinct and training as three sets of muscle baring arms reached out towards her, jumping as her high pitched wail reached its bone jarring crescendo. In the same movement, Rose connected a hard rising knee with one of her attackers, knocking its lopsided, loosely hanging jaw even more askew before landing on its head with a single foot and coming down with an extended leg drop to decapitate the other two as they leaned over where she previously cowered.

But, as the initial surge of adrenaline faded, she was left alone and in fear as dozens more surged from the treeline, attempting to overtake the beach, the crew, and the ship. Rose was once again paralyzed with fear as the unsightly mob thrashed around her, attracted to the new prey.

Bo could make out the details in the carnage even as more bullets were pumped into the advancing horde. He immediately saw the danger looming over Rose, but he was too far away to stop them and he had no way of firing the sheer number of arrows the situation called for even if clear lines of sight presented themselves. 'This would be a damn good time for Leon to get back with my primary quiver.' Bo silently cursed to himself, closing his eyes to shut out the sight of Rose's impending torturous demise.

However, his eyes went wide and his mouth hung in relief as a new presence entered the area. Leon had returned, jumping straight into the fray, drenched in seawater and standing protectively over Rose as thick, blackened blood dripped languidly from his blade.

"Leon. . . Wipe these bastards out!"

Leon smirked at the intensity and uncommon rise twinged with panic in Bo's voice. "I was gonna do that anyway," he muttered to himself. Leon tore through the enemy ranks like a crazed madman, slicing them up with eerie glee, thrilled by the prospects as they continued to clamor and approach even after having whole limbs lopped off or being bisected.

Leon shook the water from his hair after clearing another row of the grotesque mob, forging a bit of breathing room between them and the cowering Rose. "Get moving, brat," Leon directed, his battle ready grin never faltering. "I ain't no babysitter."

"But-" Rose protested; as crazy as it sounds, being at Leon's back put the young girl somewhat at ease under such frightful circumstances, far more than any immediate alternatives, especially with his ire and killing intent directed away from her.

"Just use dat toy Bo gave ya," Leon advised, a gruff annoyance to his tone. "It's preloaded with a special shot from Ray."

With the added instruction, Rose nervously stood up, hesitant to move forward on her own until Leon nudged her from behind with his foot, knocking her into a crowd of the strange, humanoid creatures. She immediately reached into a pocket of her white coat, fishing around for only a split second before withdrawing a pinkish, conical shell. Pressing down on the back of the shell and aiming it at the nearest group, the strange object released a powerful energy blast wave that ripped through the weakly constituted attackers, downing them with pure concussive force and clearing a narrow path through which Rose could escape.

Feeling the effects of the powerful release, Leon's smile grew wider, gleaming his canines maliciously, as he thought, 'Now if only that panty waist chef would grow a pair, we could have some real fun.' However, he let his thoughts idle as he turned his attentions to more actualized and immediate pleasures, corralling the monsters away from the fleeing Rose and toward himself. Leon tightened the grip on Akuma-õ no Kiba and pumped up the muscles of his upper body as his growing smile threatened to tear his facial muscles, and released a boisterous howl, loosing a powerful swing of his sword almost at the same time as roughly fifteen of the creatures piled on top of him, aiming to tear him to pieces. **"Leviathan. . . Rising!"** Savage rising air currents lifted up those within range and shredded their already ragged figures in a fierce whirlwind before unceremoniously dropping them back down to earth, black blood painting the trash ridden, sandy beaches in the wake of the damaging attack.

The mass of monsters at Leon's feet lumbered into a standing position, Leon's attack taking a toll, but failing to permanently put down many of the resilient creatures as they ultimately rose in various states of decay and disrepair.

Meanwhile, Bo had ordered a full scale tactical retreat, pulling the entirety of their defensive forces back onto the ship save for the White Knights, who oversaw the steady retreat, and Leon. Leon took advantage of the opportunity granted him, cutting down wave after wave of the humanoid monstrosities until none could stand (or crawl) against him.

In the time it took Leon to finish up with the major groupings of enemies, the only three members of the scout party fortunate enough to survive the savage scrum finally arrived at the safe haven of the crew's front line, the White Knights, with only a comparative handful of the inexplicable horrors in tow. The wings of the White Knights' formation moved forward in lockstep, effectively corralling the mindless bunch before quickly and efficiently dispatching them by decapitation before they could cause further ruckus.

The formerly rebellion minded Charli and two of his followers crawled to the feet of Johannes and his top soldiers, panting heavily with each labored breath, their faces smeared with the blood of enemy and ally alike as each of them also sported a myriad of new scars and injuries, though nothing life threatening. With Leon's victory and the little that was left of the scout party having returned, the crew on board the ship let emotion overcome them, loudly celebrating their first real victory as a crew. But, Bo immediately put a stop to their action with a dire warning. "This isn't over yet! Get as many cannons usable as we can, and prepare to fire."

Johannes heard the command from his captain and looked down to the pleading man clinging tightly to the hem of his shirt. "What's going on? What are these things that attacked us?"

Charli's mouth hung open without giving an answer while the other two with him looked to be having panic attacks just thinking back on the horrors.

Johannes shook the gawking man at his feet, imploring an immediate, definitive answer. "Come on! Who? What?"

Charli solidified his resolve only enough to scream out one word in panic. ". . .Zombies. . !"

Much of the crew would be lying if they said the fantastical thought hadn't crossed their mind, but none wanted to admit to the possibility of that nightmare being a reality. Thus, the area stood in stunned silence, letting the farfetched idea as well as the reality of events thus far sink in. The moment of serene collective introspection, though, was abruptly shattered as a loud gunshot rang out. Charli's brains splattered across Johannes' shirt from an explosive head shot and all three remaining members of the scout party fell to the coarse ground with a loud thud.

Murmurs spread through the crew, starting fearful and quiet but quickly becoming deafening with the paranoia palpable. The talk of zombies gained traction in the panic as another wave of the subhuman monstrosities emerged from the tree line, rushing the ship with maniacal vigor. "Zombies!" The majority of the crew yelled out in abject terror.

"I don't know of zombies that shoot guns," Bo reigned in the feeling as best he could in the moment, giving the crew their new orders. "but zombie or not, we will destroy them. . . down to the last. . . whatever! Prepare to fire the cannons! We'll fill this beach and the enemy with holes!" As the men hurried to their designated positions, having to adjust to the slant of the ship on the fly, Bo called out to the crew on the beach. "White Knights, Leon, return to the ship now! The enemy is too unknown for a direct confrontation; we'll finish this fight from an entrenched position."

In the instant those words reached their intended targets, the crewmen that emerged alongside Charli lifted themselves up, deep, inhuman growls bursting forth from their twisted, snarling maws. As they lunged forward, the two White Knights directly flanking Johannes, Kray and a thin framed unknown young man dressed in loose robes with his head covered in dingy wrappings, only a single eye peeking through, instantly dispatched the two mutated crew members. The White Knights then proceeded back to the ship as commanded, dragging the carcasses of the defeated pair back with them, careful to avoid any precarious positioning and unnecessary risk as they did so. Leon, though, balked at the command, completely shirking Bo's directive and charging headfirst into the approaching enemy ranks, Akuma-õ no Kiba bared and ready.

In all the movement and reorganization as the second, even larger wave rolled in, Rose was left exposed and alone a quarter length of the full distance closer to the ship than the enemy. But, with the new, added threat of gunfire, the young Kaleb reacted hastily and dangerously in worry, jumping off the ship and jetting towards Rose. His brother, Kayden, was the first to react as those still on deck watched his stupid, passionate act, but Bo held the massive shipwright and acting helmsman back with all his strength and directed Ray to go instead, convincing Kayden that the shipwright's great strength was more needed below deck moving cannons.

Ray launched himself off the railing in a flash in pursuit of the two youths, losing no traction as he moved across the sands as if he were gliding over the surface. Once he'd significantly closed the distance on both of them, Ray pulled the segmented staff from the sash around his waist, gripping one bladed end and hurling the other past Rose. The chain housed inside the staff extended to its limit before doubling back around the young doctor as well as Kaleb, and, catching the returning end, Ray wrenched the staff, pulling the chain, and the two trapped in its length, back to him. He caught them with an oomph, the impact winding both of them as they crashed against each other (almost kissing) and into Ray's bicep and shoulder. In the same motion, Ray began his move back to the ship, the weight of the two kids barely slowing the experienced, but reluctant fighter.

Despite the tense situation, the carefree and seemingly oblivious Kaleb let a toothy smile spread his cheeks at being held so close to the girl he fawned over. Rose shifted for more leeway and freedom in response, inadvertently kneeing Kaleb in his pressing groin, though the action did have the desired result of curbing the boy's persistent, lovey-dovey behavior until they got back to the ship and were released.

* * *

Leon, meanwhile, dove headfirst into the enemy numbers, cutting large swaths of foes down in the chaotic mass. Despite their individual and overall speed and power being quite impressive, the recklessness and total disregard with which the mutated menaces moved forward and attacked made them the complete antithesis of the berserker swordsman. But, the damage they could take and still fight back thrilled Leon immensely as he ducked under the outstretched arms of a larger than average foe and cleaved the hyperviolent opposition in two before latching his hand over the snarling maw of the next in line. Impaling the savage creature on Akuma-õ no Kiba, Leon used it as a meat shield and drove his blade through three more, pushing the skewered enemies into a small clearing where, with a loud, ferocious roar, he twisted the blade around and ripped it up and through the skulls of the four creatures, sending blackened blood spraying from the split torsos and raining down on the swordsman as torn flesh and bone fragments further littered the ground. With not even a second to rest, Leon then used that chance and the downward momentum of his next swing to release a blood red tinted compressed air slash, sending it surging through the earth and his opponents as he continued on his path of blood and carnage.

* * *

Though Leon was involved in a large conflict with many dozens of the inhuman monsters, dozens more still moved past him, rushing the ship with single minded intent. However, the crew on board the ship was ready, firing cannon balls into the groups one after another, sending body parts flying every which way with each explosive shot that rocked the beach. The debris already littered across the beach served as additional shrapnel and a welcome addition in the crew's efforts to completely eradicate the monstrosities that ambushed their scout party and aimed to kill them as well.

With the ship's high sides acting as a last line of defense, the crew managed to completely wipe out the attacking horde while taking no further casualties themselves. All of the crew was proud of the accomplishment as across the beach Leon stood ankle deep in a pool of the thick, almost black blood of the strange zombie-like monstrosities, but none dared celebrate as the demeanor of their superiors told them it was far from over.

* * *

Leon, blood covered chest rising with each breath, stared into the blackness of the treeline, into an empty set of eyes deep in the darkness. As those creepy, expressionless orbs turned away and ventured deeper into the island's forest, he could hear Bo's loud declaration emanating through the empty sky from the ship.

"This is only just getting started! Everyone get ready; we're going to war!" Bo was again about to recall Leon as well, but the headstrong swordsman had already rushed blindly into the forests in pursuit of the man behind the eyes.


	11. Chapter 10: The Plan

**The Plan:**

 **Is it Already too Late?**

"How are we supposed to beat an army of the undead?"

"Rose already said. . .

 **[Flashback]**

"Found anything?"

"No; and this would probably go faster if you stopped asking every five minutes," Rose responded irritably as she hunched over the corpses of the onetime crew mates turned vicious monsters. "I feel like I'm back in school with an overbearing teacher." She ignored the annoyed look on Bo's face, focusing intensely on the twin autopsies she was performing. The lack of real progress was beginning to frustrate the young doctor as she delved deeper into her subjects with Bo still leering over her shoulder. However, her eyes went wide while her slender arms were wrist deep in the chest cavity of one of the men.

Bo, noticing the change in expression, ventured closer - severely invading the young girl's personal space once she noticed him there - and impatiently questioned, "What?"

Rose stepped back from Bo and simply stared at her blood covered, gloved hands in silence with a shocked expression. Bo repeated his question more forcefully, but still she lingered for a moment as her mind remembered how to sound out words. "Th- They're not zombies," she pressed slowly, cautiously

Bo released an irritated groan, pinching his creased brow to control himself as he spoke. "I already know that; tell me something new."

"Th-The heart was still. . . still beating."

"What?"

"He's dead, but his heart is still beating half an hour after he died," Rose declared.

"The heart can continue beating after death," Bo explained, stating what he believed should be obvious for a doctor.

"Not for this long," she insisted before a beeping from one of the many machines in her lab interrupted them. Ripping the paper that spilled forward, Rose rapidly scanned the results before setting the paper aside with a triumphant, "I knew it."

"What now?" Bo demanded, quickly losing his patience with the scattered outbursts of his doctor.

"As you know, these two were shot with syringes before they changed. It would take a major chemical compound to get the heart to react so strangely, and I can confirm two of the substances: PT7 and an unknown upper. PT7 is the main ingredient in the recreational drug, Lei, but in large enough doses it provides a euphoric numbing. Users feel like a superman, but their reactions are so dulled it doesn't usually matter."

"Those things' reactions didn't seem slowed to me," Bo stated dryly.

"I know, and that's where the upper comes in. What confuses me is that PT7 as well as what other possible drugs I can glean from the results don't really play well with others; mixing them with anything should be a death sentence. The scientist who did this must be a genius." Rose commented the last part mostly to herself. She was torn; the professional side of her couldn't help but marvel at such obvious ability while personally she was disgusted by whatever monster would do such a thing to another human being.

"That I can confirm." Mage chimed in, appearing in the doorway of Rose's lab. "I found a large laboratory hidden away deep in the forest, and from what I can tell this entire area is man-made.

"But, that still doesn't explain why some of our men changed into those things after being attacked," Bo reminded the two experts in drugs and poisons.

Mage was the first to answer, appearing beside Rose before she could open her mouth and looking over the results of her toxicology screening while she tried to get away from him. "Hmm, the drug cocktail was laced with HMV," Mage observed. "That virus is highly contagious via fluid transfers and travels quickly through the bloodstream; it's perfect if you're trying to create an epidemic."

 **[Flashback End]**

"Rose already said they aren't zombies. . . They're drugged people."

"OK, how are we supposed to fight drugged people with black blood and superhuman strength and speed that feel no pain?"

"When you put it like that, zombies might be better," Shaad offered. "That'd at least make sense."

Much of the crew looked to Shaad and the enigmatic smirk he wore with trepidation and confusion, but their thoughts on the unnerving guest were pushed aside as one of the assistant chefs onboard the ship came and announced that dinner was ready. The crew was in a near frenzy as Bo had ordered Ray to use as much of their limited ingredients as he deemed necessary to prepare a feast for the hungry crew. They needed to be at full fighting strength for the upcoming war or else the amount of supplies remaining would be a null issue.

Once the crew members had departed the area, Mage appeared from the shadows behind Shaad. "The drugs explain all of that, including the darkened blood."

"Yea, but zombies are so much more interesting. Besides, which do you think makes more sense? Zombies? Or a drug combination that even you can't figure out?" he said with a smile. "Now, I better go eat something or this'll be the last you see of my smiling face."

* * *

"It's been almost three hours and still we have no effective plan to combat those monsters," Bo complained furiously, slamming his fist on the table as he met with his closest advisors - Ray, Alexander, and Johannes - in the captain's quarters. "This first battle went our way because of the location; they couldn't climb the ship's sides and made for easy pickings, but once we venture out there, there will be no such advantages."

"We are all men of traditional battles," Johannes declared. "Against those. . . those things, conventional tactics are useless. They feel no pain and show no fear; they don't react as humans should."

"They're faster and stronger than typical soldiers," Alexander chimed. "Save for having shown no capability to use weapons, they're the perfect soldiers considering their apparent lack of complex thoughts."

"That's the problem," Bo disputed. "Those creatures know nothing but snarling and slashing yet they move in waves and somehow keep from attacking each other. That implies a level of control none of us have witnessed from them. Think! There has to be something we're missing."

As those present wracked their brains trying to come up with an answer, a spaced out knocking that seemed to jump all around the room distracted them. Only Bo and Ray stayed focused as opposed to searching for the sound's source. And, after a short while, Bo, still without looking up from his notes and the rough layout of the island he'd been able to sketch, calmly called, "What is it?"

In an instant, the knocking stopped and Mage appeared out of nowhere between Bo and Johannes. "I saw something that may help." He spoke as suddenly as he showed up, announcing his presence in startling fashion.

Johannes took a half step back and instinctively raised his hands, but Alexander reacted far more aggressively. "It's you," he shouted accusingly, jumping from his seat. Only Ray's strong grip held the former prince at bay while Mage continued unperturbed.

"On the way back, I spotted something unmoving at the edge of the treeline. It was quite hard to make out in the dark, but I believe it was a person; he'd disappeared before I could get close enough to confirm, though. It could've simply been a trick of my eyes."

"Bastard! Who are you anyway!?" Alexander demanded in anger, leaning onto the table between them ready to pounce. "You're rarely seen aboard the ship, and hardly any of the crew even knows of your existence."

"Alexander," Bo said softly, just trying to get his navigator's attention. But, Alexander stayed glaring at the newcomer, Mage, spouting curses and threats as he tried to get away from Ray's tightening grip. "Enough," Bo yelled forcefully, his tone stilling the room. "Alexander, shut up!"

"But, he showed up with Mino unconscious over his shoulder. I would've throttled his throat then, but he laid her down and disappeared. Now, he shows up here as if he belongs." Alexander attempted to defend his actions. "I don't even know who he is."

"Once we saw the conflict on the beach, Mino wanted to run into the middle of it to make sure you were okay," Mage calmly explained, his voice never rising or faltering despite the tense situation.

"You should be thanking him," Bo directed Alexander, though Alexander merely crossed his arms and turned away with a pouty huff. "Mage saved her life."

"The captain's right, you know," Shaad's voice echoed as he stepped gleefully through the door. "Besides, if anyone unduly hurt Mino, they'd answer to me," he added, calmly pacing around the collected individuals, looking over each in turn with a haunting smirk and a treacherous gleam in his eyes.

"What are you doing here, Shaad? This room's getting crowded as it is." Bo proclaimed, though there was clearly plenty of space remaining.

"Oh, that's too bad," Shaad said in mock disappointment. "And, here I brought friends." At those words, everyone turned to look at Shaad directly. It was well known that most everybody on board was either too scared or wary of him to befriend the mysterious young man. Shaad could sense their anticipation, and called, "Come in, you two."

From behind him, Kray and the unknown young man in loose robes entered the room and stood to either side of Shaad. The two men, having formerly flanked Johannes on the battlefield and now seemingly backing Shaad, wore unreadable expressions. While Kray wore his usual grin, only one of the smaller man's eyes were visible, making it impossible to read his expression through the rag that only left that eye and a few stray hairs visible, and his eyes told no story at all. Both simply stayed there motionless, awaiting what was to come.

"What are you doing here," Bo reiterated his earlier question.

But Shaad ignored the inquiry and continued on, "Based off what Mage said, I'm sure you figured the same thing I did since he wouldn't have bothered saying it if he really thought his eyes were playing tricks. The figure in the trees must be who was giving those things orders. There's probably more and that's who shot Charli and the other two as well."

That was exactly what Bo was thinking, but because Shaad hadn't offered anything new, he responded with, "That still doesn't answer my question."

"You have yourself, Ray, Alex, and J here. (Mage too, but he won't freely give his opinion so he doesn't count,)" Shaad began, finally deciding to answer Bo's question, and upsetting some with his shorthand of their names. "The lot of you are all experts (to a degree) in tactical warfare, and that's why you're having trouble with this type of enemy." He then turned to the two he'd brought with him to prove his point. "Kray, how would you combat this enemy?"

"Bull through 'em," the large man answered proudly around the cigar in his mouth in that gruff voice of his.

"And you," he asked the other man.

"Eliminate the leader and advance through the chaos," came the immediate response.

"Exactly. Even if Leon were here, he probably wouldn't be invited to this little brainstorming session because he'd offer a similarly simplistic strategy, a non-strategic strategy so to speak. As smart as you are, you should understand sometimes the simplest answer is the best answer."

Bo wasn't keen on getting advice from those who hadn't earned his total respect, and for this lesson to come from the often clueless and ignorant acting Shaad made the sting that much worse. But, an affirming nod from Ray told him Shaad was right, so he swallowed his pride and just sat there contemplating. After a few seconds, he completely relented and asked, "So, what's your plan?"

While everyone else was planning their next action, Leon was taking his. He'd followed that ominous pair of eyes deep into the forest. However, the person he was chasing was faster than him and knew the forest far better. Leon was rapidly losing ground, but he wasn't the type to give up quietly, cutting down the trees in his path and charging straight ahead even as his target weaved skillfully through the trees. His straightforward rush, though, had him run headfirst into no less than three ambushes. And, while the results from each were the same - Leon slicing his way through the enemy numbers in increasingly gruesome fashion as they refused to die or give up without a struggle and never retreated - the distance between him and his true target steadily increased until he'd lost the trail completely. Leon actually became frustrated with the mindless killing once it caused him to lose out on what could have been a worthwhile fight and the heightened level of destruction at the last ambush displayed the emotion he felt. Nonetheless, he continued on, slowing down a bit so as not to miss any details.

It wasn't Leon's first time hunting in a forest, but with the slowed pace, he realized for the first time just how large and suffocating that particular forest was as only the destruction he'd wreaked thus far kept him from losing his way in the twisting wildlife. Larger trees reached up towards the nonexistent sunlight - a mystery Leon showed no interest in even thinking of solving - with branches spread out like the threads of a spider web lying in wait to ensnare its prey while the gnarled husks of once-thriving trees surrounded him like the skeletal arms of dead men, reaching up from the parched floor devoid of flourishing life save for the small animals scurrying about and the numerous vines threatening to entangle and trap him.

Not one for the preservation of nature, Leon destroyed all that stood in the way of his trek deeper into the beckoning darkness as he continued searching for any sign of his lost quarry. But, as if in retaliation for his wanton destruction, the floor in a small clearing of the forest opened up and swallowed him whole without so much as a sound or warning, trapping him in a darkness so complete he'd be right in questioning if he still had eyes.


	12. Chapter 11: Trouble in Advance

**Trouble in Advance**

It was a long fall and an even rougher landing for Leon. Noticeably battered, it took him a few minutes to regain consciousness and orient himself. Just as the incoherent buzzing in his ears ceased, it was replaced with a weighty movement crunching over the uneven surface below him. He was slowly able to make out the creeping sound as that of footsteps, close ones. "Who are you," Leon barked, his usual belligerence ever present.

But, just as he felt the looming presence right above his crouched form - his eyes looking up but unable to make out anything in the darkness - he felt a small pinch in his neck, like that of a needle. The hand that stuck him felt synthetic as if it were gloved. That was the last thing he felt before his body collapsed onto the cold ground, the sneering words mocking him from above.

"You'll make a fine, subject. _Nanonanonanonano_ ," the voice laughed before exiting.

* * *

If the crew thought the strange island dark and creepy from the coast, then the thick foliage of the unnervingly fuzzy and abundant fauna surrounding them was truly overbearing in its ominous ambience, suffocating any stray specks of light within the trappings of the intricately interwoven canopy above them. Everywhere they stepped or grabbed, attempting to gain some sort of foothold, it felt as if the forest were alive, moving and slithering beneath their very fingertips even as the empty shells of once thriving natural life lingered in their collective limited vision.

"Why'd it turn out like this," Shaad openly whined.

"Shut up," Bo scolded. "We're going with your plan."

"Yea, but I should be with Mino."

"You and Alexander both," Bo mumbled to himself. "I swear you're just like little kids."

Indeed, Bo had ultimately opted to go with the plan put forth by Shaad. And, in accordance with that plan, Bo had split select members of the crew into three parties: his heading straight into the dense, dark forest along the path previously carved by the initial scout party and more _thoroughly_ by Leon while one each was sent in opposite directions along the coast.

The plan called for Bo's group - consisting of himself, Shaad, Ray, Kayden, Kaleb, Rose, and twelve of the strongest former White Knights (members of an elite, armored heavy infantry group within the White Knights known as the Divine Knights) - to head right into the forest and hurry toward the location Mage said the lab was located at as loud and fast as possible. This would ideally draw any lurking enemies and ambushers to investigate and attack them. While the ploy was dangerous for them it would serve to clear most of the obstacles from their allies' paths as Mage led a group including Alexander to the lab from about 45 marks to the right of Bo's initial entrance point and the masked figure led a group of his own in from the left of their position.

Mage and the masked man's groups were each geared for speed and stealth while Bo's focused more on raw power. Accordingly, Bo's group would face the enemy grunts and hidden threats head on while the other two led their teams around the back of the enemy to take out the leaders, and then they'd all proceed together through the ensuing chaos. Of course, that entire plan ran under the volatile assumption that those drugged, zombie-like freaks were less dangerous without a leader controlling them.

As much noise as Bo's group made hacking and slashing their way along the path of destruction Leon laid out for them to follow, it was Shaad's constant complaining that was probably more likely to draw out any lurking foes. "Why did I have to come along," he whined in an exhausted tone.

"You may not be a member of my crew, but so long as you're on my ship, you're subject to my command," Bo declared, his patience with the lazy yet powerful freeloader wearing thin. "You eat more food than anyone on my crew and expect not to work? And, don't act like you're too tired; I know your energy has been fully revitalized."

"You couldn't begin to understand how my _energy_ works," Shaad warned, his tone suddenly changing. "But, I will tell you one thing: I'm barely over half right now." The foreboding tone in his voice was clear, though the wide smile on his lips was evident to any who turned back and looked at him. "Besides," he started in a more upbeat manner, "I'm more bored than tired, anyway."

The former White Knights moved along in a diamond formation with Kaleb and Rose protected inside and Kayden leading the way alongside Ray while Bo and Shaad brought up the rear. It soon quieted down with Shaad's complaining cut to a lingering groan and the group continued marching in relative silence aside from the incessant yammering of Kaleb. While the young man talked Rose's ear off (much to her mounting annoyance), the rest of the group tuned him out, Ray only taking a quick moment to comment to Kayden about his little brother's nonstop boasting.

It was a simple task to follow Leon's rampant obliteration of nature even in the suffocating darkness. The open pathway also made it harder for them to be caught off guard by an ambush, thus the journey continued on rather uneventfully. That is, until Ray cut through two trees leaning against each other, creating an arch, and the vines and parasitic branches that hung from them, bringing the group out into a large, wide open clearing. They would've assumed it more of Leon's handiwork if not for the striking lack of splintered debris littering the area, replaced instead with piles of dead leaves and disturbed dirt alongside numerous statuettes and stone crosses.

The narrow opening forced the group to break formation and shuttle into the open area where those with torches cautiously fanned out. The landscape was stark to say the least, from what they could tell, save for a handful of broken cherub statues and the large mounds of dirt and dead leaves.

The air was still, dead as could be, and time seemed frozen in that place, an unnerving sense hanging about it that reached out and grabbed all that entered. Even the rambunctious Kaleb quickly quieted himself, drawing a few bewildered eyes to make sure he was okay. But, the setting played the most on Rose. Her nerves were on edge in the darkened silence, only the sound of leaves crunching underfoot piercing the suffocating sense of dread. As a result, her untapped Devil Fruit powers began to rear their ugly head. Over the past month and a half, Rose had made gradual progress in holding the unwanted power at bay thanks to Bo's intense training, but, given their current circumstances, she allowed her fear to override the training, giving the Zoan abilities the chance to peek through.

As her eyes shifted form, new smells began to invade her improved sense of smell. The scattered rays of light breaking through the tangled tree limbs above only provided barely noticeable illumination, but with her nose guiding her as to where to look, Rose turned to the source of the terrible stench that plagued her olfactory sense. And, with the diamond formation broken around her combined with the light from the torches, she saw clearly a terrifying sight.

All eyes immediately turned to Rose as she let out an ear-splitting scream. Bo was the first to react. Noticing the pointed ears growing beneath her lightening hair, he moved in a flash, stepping in front of the frightened, early teenage girl and placing a calming hand firmly on her shoulder. Without wasting a second, Bo closed his eyes tight to see what his young doctor's eyes were locked on.

Upon seeing the gruesome sight, he slid his palm over her eyes and opened his own to take in the stomach churning spectacle for himself while repeating the same phrase, "Breathe. Control the beast," over and over to Rose's trembling form. Bo clutched her tightly to his side, thankful that Kaleb had been stunned into silence by the traumatic surprise, while silently motioning for the Divine Knights to retake their positions around him and Ray to cut down the massacred body before them.

While most of those present had long ago been introduced to the cruelties the world offered, even many of them found it hard to hold their lunch looking at the mutilated carcass of a man before them, decapitated and strung up on a makeshift cross for all to see as blood still poured from the stumps that now resided where the deceased's hands once were, pooling into a sordid mixture below him alongside his spilling guts. The kill was obviously fresh and the scene manufactured for intimidation or as a warning.

The putrid smell was overbearing, but Ray still made quick work of his task, covering his nose as he cut the bindings holding the body up and lay it in the shadows of two decayed brooks under a pile of dead leaves, remorseful that there was no time for a more proper burial. "I recognize those cuts," Ray whispered to Bo as he returned to the group.

"I recognize those clothes," Johannes chimed in. "He's one of ours; a White Knight."

"And, you'll soon be joining him," a mysterious voice emanated from the opening at the other end of the clearing followed by an increased rustling in the dense trees surrounding them on all sides.

* * *

"It was impossible to surprise them on their turf after all," Mage thought aloud as he watched dozens of the drugged warriors stumble into the path below the trees where he and his group sat perched. He'd long since filled the trail with numerous blue wisp of smoke snaking along the ground, conjuring up visions of his group marching along for the unaware foe. But the lumbering enemies failed to react even as his illusory forces readied to attack. Using his summoned images for cover, Mage threw multiple knives into the opposing ranks to test their reactions.

When all they did was slow their advance to pause and look around, Mage knew these soldiers were indeed not normal. With a hand sign to command his group to stay back, Mage dropped from the tree he'd been spying from, his black long coat billowing behind him. Landing with a muffled thud on the soft ground, he strolled forward, withdrawing the short sword from his waist and the straight bladed, blunt tipped khanda on his back as he went. Without waiting for the small horde to (literally) sniff out his position, Mage set to work.

Figuring his paralytic poison would be near useless, he used the longer blades of the two swords to take down his opponents as he skillfully weaved his way through their ranks. Using his superior agility and senses, Mage was able to cut off outstretched limbs and the occasional head all while avoiding the grabbing hands of the dangerously savage foe. Ducking under an errant swipe from the right, he simultaneously cut off the leg of an enemy to his left. In the same movement he crushed in the chest of a different foe on his right with the weighted side of his khanda before rising up and stabbing his short sword into the neck of the soldier whose leg he'd just cut off. With a twist of the handle, Mage used the leverage to deliver a jumping roundhouse kick to a fast approaching creature, sending it barreling to the side into three others and popping off the head of his initial quarry in the process.

The wide arcing move turned Mage around, but also held off the hungry mob a split second longer, providing him with the few precious nanoseconds needed to completely bisect another ready to pounce, snarling adversary with the reinforced diamond serrated plate edge of his modified khanda and use the teetering lower body to perform a quick and impressive backflip over the drugged horde rapidly closing in. He nimbly twisted in the air and landed in a crouch behind them before swiftly and impressively slicing his way through many of the rest until he escaped the constant threat of their massive numbers.

However, having obviously lost track of his direction somewhere along the way, Mage found himself backed up against a line of trees and bushes with all of the surviving monsters advancing on him from all directions.

"Ordre de Rui: Bulletstorm," Alexander's voice called out from behind the threatening horde before each of the creatures were summarily mowed down by vicious thrusts, holes blasted through them as if sprayed liberally by a gatling gun. As the torn and shredded bodies fell lifelessly to the ground, barely more than bullet-ridden chunks of meat, Alexander calmly strolled forward, replacing his rapier on his hip. He wore a smug grin, obviously satisfied with himself for presumably saving the life of the mysterious crewmate he'd only recently wanted to throttle with his own hands. Mage, though, was unresponsive, contemplatively staring past the former prince as if he weren't even there before turning to continue onwards to the preplanned destination and motioning for the others to follow.

* * *

Over on the other side of the island, the small bodied masked man of the White Knights was having similar troubles as he stood surrounded by the unusual enemy. It was impossible to read his expression through the rag around his head, but his visible eye was quickly darting all around. His body, though, showed a strange calm even in the dire situation, and as the sharp blade of a sai dropped from each loose sleeve, one might even guess he'd let a small smile cross his lips.

While his lean, lithe frame held little hidden strength, the veiled White Knight had earned his spot among the elite Divine Knights with an unmatched combination of speed, precision, and agility. By utilizing that particular skill set to its fullest extent, the mindless zombie-like soldiers facing him were no match even with their fear inducing numbers and the lethal attributes they themselves possessed. The shrouded Divine Knight spun around on a pivot, striking at every drugged creature in rapid succession and with lightning speed, slipping the thin blades of his sai in between ribs to puncture hearts, lungs, intestines and kidneys from every angle. Ending the blinding flurry with a skull piercing uppercut to the closest one, a fierce, resounding blast of wind erupted from the center, blowing back each of the monstrosities and leaving only the mysterious man standing or even moving aside from a few violent death throes from some fallen enemies.

'Still no sign of a leader; we need to hurry and back up the main force.'


	13. Chapter 12: We Fight Together

**Fight Together. . . _Die_ Separated?**

"Aah, you're finally awake, eh? . . . Don't waste your energy trying to escape; those bindings are stronger than steel," a mocking voice teased as if giving a pleasant clinical diagnosis. "Relax; your friends will be joining you soon enough. Though, I'm quite certain none are as spectacular a specimen as you." Two rows of pearly whites with a gold tooth in the midst gleamed from the shadows before the voice turned to another person in the room. "Make sure to keep him sedated. We don't want the subject hurting himself before we're done with him." An evil cackle emanated from the room as an entrance slid open, cutting off the demented chuckle as it slid closed behind heavy footsteps.

* * *

"How fitting that your end comes in this abandoned graveyard," the disembodied voice spoke from the shadow of the trees surrounding Bo's group.

It was only after the voice said where they were that Rose realized she'd stepped backwards onto a barely covered shallow grave, a skeletal hand reaching up at her. The others, though, had no time to concern themselves with the already dead inhabitants of the area as the rustling of leaves and bushes and the low sound of hurried scrambling presumably indicated that more and more of those hard to put down, barely alive foes were gathering and encircling them.

Instinctively, the Divine Knights regrouped, circling around Kaleb, Rose and Bo, each member hoisting his own massive shield in defense of himself as well as the man beside him with Johannes, Kayden, and a man nearly as large as the monstrous, eight foot mountain of a man covering the top of the formation. The hidden enemy leader gave a barely audible command and without warning the mass of neither dead nor alive terrors surrounding the sixteen pirates converged like so many vultures to a fresh carcass.

The hundred or so crazed creatures crashed into the sturdy defense like a massive wave, pushing the powerful Knights back, unperturbed by the bullets zooming by ear even as allies fell around them (as much from friendly fire as from the hands of their supposed prey).

Bo and company fought valiantly, cutting down foe after rushing foe between the evenly spaced cracks in the shield formation. While the occasional bullet made it past their shields, the biggest threat for the group was easily the most direct as the never-ending wave of enemies eventually broke through a little at a time.

The collapse began when one of the anchors of the formation took a bullet to the leg. The steel ball tore through an artery and took the mighty warrior down to a knee. That moment of weakness was all it took as before the Knights could react, the enemy was pouring in through the small crack in their defenses and getting inside the wall of shields, snarling and slashing viciously as they went.

Surprisingly, Kaleb was the first on the inside to react. On instinct alone, he attacked the first monster to come through. Ducking under a quick but errant swipe, Kaleb delivered a bone jarring side kick to the attacker's lead leg, jarring the leg's momentum and sending the fiend tumbling forward where Kaleb struck it with a whipping roundhouse kick. Showing an as of yet unseen agility, Kaleb used the downed foe as a launching pad for a picture perfect jumping roundhouse before hooking the trail leg around the target's neck and thrashing him to the ground with enough force to snap the spine.

While the combination was highly impressive, Kaleb had inadvertently left himself defenseless on the ground with no room to counter the many more that had already swarmed around him. But with Bo's archery taking down the immediate threats to the boy's life and his powerhouse brother slowing the influx, the group was able to turn a busted formation into a redesigned killing field with the shields serving to limit access while the Knights and Bo dismantled the ones that trickled in in gruesome fashion, lopping off limbs, crushing skulls, etc. and sending blood splattering with each deadly strike. It was a scene Bo would've greatly preferred Rose not see, but it was both something she'd increasingly need to get used to as well as a happening far beyond his control on such a tumultuous, fast-paced battlefield.

However, just as things seemed to be dying down in the group's favor, the pained screams of their allies filled their ears prompting the ones facing inward to look back and see three of the Divine Knights fall to a new enemy each. One was fairly muscular and wore armor over his chest and face while a hook sword dripped blood onto each hand. The second wore a maniacal grin and gripped a dangerous looking battle axe.

Emboldened by his earlier showing, the young Kaleb leapt towards the third newcomer without fear, striking him with a hard straight to center mass of his exposed torso before launching up and smashing a knee in the man's jaw only to grab the back of the larger fighter's head in midair and pull him into a twisting knee from the other side.

With a full spin, Kaleb landed before the target of his onslaught. Standing there unaffected by each hard strike, the maniacal and crazed individual punked the boisterous Kaleb with a threatening snarl, his ripped away cheek only adding to the intimidation. Kaleb immediately jumped behind his older brother's leg, body trembling from unpronounced fear as the hulking Kayden stepped forward to take his place against the juiced up bare knuckle brawler.

With the numbers for both sides now near even for the first time, Bo switched to fighting with a staff and rushed forward to join Kayden and the reinvigorated Knights that could still continue in combating the few zombie-like minions that remained as well as the new foes they faced. Even as Bo's group struck blow after blow against the enemy, further whittling down their once daunting numbers, the three newest adversaries fought against them with undying ferocity and a disconcerting calm and calculation.

When a high-pitched whistle broke from the tree line, all three warriors cracked a menacing smirk, briefly allowing them to turn the tide and take down two more Knights before Bo's group was able to settle themselves against the split second of hesitation and uncertainty. But, as the whistle was cut off without any actual change in the battlefield, that initial surge faded and allowed the axe wielding brute to be overrun by the renewed surge of the Knights facing him, further increasing the disparity in Bo's crew's favor and actually forcing the remaining two to force a small break in order to take a step back and question what was going on.

"Expecting backup, I presume." Shaad's cheerful voice cut through the tension between the two sides, drawing all eyes to him (a position he rather enjoyed under most circumstances). "I'm guessing that's what he was for," Shaad said, lifting a disembodied head by the hair, eyes open wide and a long, silver whistle still dangling from between the man's lips.

The swordsman spoke then. "H-How," he questioned nervously despite himself, his voice easily recognizable as the hidden individual taunting them from the cover of trees. "There were over two hundred of those failures."

The word 'failures' stuck out to Bo, but Shaad responded first. "And, they were fairly spread out, too. That's what took me so long; making a full round trip through these trees isn't as easy as you might guess. Luckily, I had a bit of help."

At that mention, Ray stepped out from some bushes a ways off to the side, trapping the last two adversaries between him, Shaad, and the rest of their group. The two foes looked around slowly, surveying their escape options carefully. All three sides noticed what they were up to, but none made any undue action. Except Shaad.

"Ooh, pick me! Pick me! Come on; no hands, I promise," Shaad lobbied for them to come his way, but to no avail as the two eventually charged towards Ray.

Ray gripped his segmented staff and prepared to fend off the two skilled fighters, sizing them up as their rush rapidly ate up the distance between the sides.

"Aah," Shaad sighed in disappointment, watching the two men run off in a different direction. . . and fall before they'd even made it within striking distance of the waiting Ray. His eyes naturally traced back to see Bo letting a third arrow fall back into his quiver with the bow resting at his side.

It took some time, but relative calm did eventually return to the ominous graveyard that played home to the gruesome conflict. Ray moved to join the rest of the group as they gathered around the captain, but Shaad stayed where he was, sensing that something still lurked in the shadows, but completely confident he hadn't missed even one of those drugged zombie soldiers.

Bo, meanwhile, checked on the crew. They hadn't lost any members, but six of the Knights were too injured to continue without great risk of dying or becoming a severe liability. Aside from the man shot in the leg, the most severe injury was one Knight who had his left arm chopped off and a gash across his chest by the axe wielding maniac. Rose was able to take emergency measures to prevent the wounded from bleeding out, but at her behest, Bo ordered all of the Divine Knights back to the ship along with Kayden, Kaleb, and of course Rose.

But, just as they left the area, Shaad's premonition proved accurate as a sword came down on him from behind. The surprise attack was completely ineffective, though, as Shaad leaned forward, using his specially designed cross sheath to block the strike with minimal effort, even quipping, "My earlier offer didn't extend to you, ya know," as he did.

Everyone's attention turned toward the clash as the impact resonated through most of the open area, and Shaad jumped away, turning towards his attacker with a taunting smirk on his lips. "I won't hold back if that's really what you want, but I think the others might get upset with me," Shaad coaxed, each word aimed at attracting the newcomer's ire.

* * *

"What do you mean he escaped," a tall, lanky individual in a lab coat exclaimed angrily.

"I don't know; when we came back with more tranquilizers, the other doctors were all unconscious and his binds were snapped," a shorter man with square rimmed glasses frantically explained as both he and his hunch backed compatriot sweated bullets at the dangerous news.

"The drugs should still be slowing him down; he can't have gotten far. We need to catch him now, before the Master finds out."

"I heard him say something about getting his sword back," a bookish looking woman stated from the open doorway of the ruined lab where the other doctors still lay strewn about, holding her side as she dragged herself along the wall to where the others stood.

"You heard her," the lanky man practically yelled. "Have the guards cover the weapons rooms and all of the exits. If even a mouse escapes, the Master will have your heads."

"And, alert all standby doctors to be ready in Exam Room 2. Call some physicians here as well." The hurt woman added, her voice straining as she struggled to breath with what she figured was fractured ribs and a punctured lung.

At that, the two other doctors rushed in separate directions down the white hallway. A short while later the facility was awash with sirens and a voice over the intercom system shouting orders. The once calm, orderly building had erupted into chaos due to the escape of a single subject and what retribution it may bring.

* * *

"Leon. . . this is no time for games," Bo fumed as his swordsman friend faced off with his unwanted but invaluable guest, both wearing matching anticipatory grins. "Where have you been? We need to take down whoever runs this place and get out of here."

Shaad and Leon continued their stare down for a few moments longer, but the ferocity in Leon's eyes eventually faded and Shaad loosened his grip on his two katana, placing the straps back in place and straightening up. Shaad flashed a provocative smile as Leon walked by, opting not to respond as Leon purposely bumped his shoulder in passing.

"I took a walk," Leon brusquely answered Bo, brushing Shaad's provocations away.

Shaad was only a few steps behind Leon in joining Ray and Bo, barely catching the tail end of a private conversation. ". . . just watch out," before the four all headed deeper into the forest in search of their primary target as well as to rendezvous with the other parties of the crew.

The trip deeper in was smooth comparatively speaking. While no enemies lay in wait to ambush them, what little light that had been there to guide the path earlier had been all but smothered completely this deep in. Bo attempted using his tools to light a torch, but as if in response the wind would always choose that time to pick up and put out the spark he was able to get.

Resigning themselves to the creeping darkness, the group moved slowly, cautiously, unaware of what traps may lay ahead. For a while the darkness and erratic winds were their only enemy, but that threatened not to last as they entered an area of the forest very near their destination with especially thick clusters of tall trees and untamed shrubbery. As if a significantly compressed version of autumn suddenly blew through, the leaves of seemingly every tree in the vicinity assaulted them to no end, whipping their faces viciously. With the darkness and trees still in play, the best option would've been to stay still, but the sheer force of the winds made them impossible to resist without moving against them. Thus, they each willed themselves forward, each step feeling as if gravity itself were against them.

"Stay together," Bo yelled out, but his voice came out as barely a whisper over the howling winds.

"Huh?"

"Don't get separated!"

"Where are you?"

"Everyone, follow my voice!"

After a while, the winds stopped as suddenly as they'd started, the dry, dead leaves drifting languidly to the forest floor. However, in the absence of blasting winds and a cover of leaves, the group found themselves lost in total darkness, the sense of sight completely stripped from them.

"Bo. Leon," Ray called, leveling his breathing to remain calm.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Shaad complained casually, stepping forward to avoid something unseen. "Woah; you'll have to buy me dinner before you touch me like that."

"Ray, Leon, . . . Rashaad," Bo finished after a roll of his eyes, "Dammit! Where did they go?"

"Huh? Who's there? Bo and Ray called out simultaneously from their respective, separated positions.

Bo then heard Leon's concurrently strangely gleeful, sadistic, and (to Bo's ears at least) grating tone behind him. "You rang, Cap'n?"


	14. Chapter 13: Friends Become Enemies

**Friends Become Enemies**

"Do you honestly expect me to accept, or even believe, that it was mine own hubris that got us into this mess," the former prince, Alexander animatedly argued against the unreactionary Mage.

"I thought I'd made myself clear before. I don't give a fuck what you believe."

Alexander and Mage had been going at it nearly nonstop for quite a while now - only pausing to get rid of the handful of enemies and strange animals that got in their way. The other members of their party had long since been eliminated in an ambush that none saw coming and now, to make matters worse, they had somehow gotten themselves completely lost with no idea even of which way they were intending to be headed.

A few minutes later, after circling back and at least getting an indication as to the right direction, Mage, walking a few steps ahead of the annoyed royal, felt a hand press firmly on the center of his back.

"Get your hand off me," Mage commanded lowly.

Alexander twisted his neck from looking at their surroundings and fixed his gaze on the shorter man, sourly responding, "I would never dirty my hands on you, you insignificant ant."

Mage gave a hollow harrumph to the haughty remark, but kept moving forward without further reaction nonetheless. Another argument seemed inevitable amidst the rising tension between the two, but any possible conflict was cut short as a loud explosion rang out deeper in the dark, dense forest. The two embattled allies shared a brief look at each other before immediately rushing to find the commotion's source.

Moving on instinct and training, Mage proceeded swiftly and with great skill through the maze of trees. Alexander struggled to keep up but worked to maintain a line of sight at all times, finding it difficult to keep track of the black clad mystery crewmate under the 'night' sky. When Mage suddenly stopped, Alexander nearly crashed into his back only to have Mage sidestep and leave the former noble to skid face first into a tree. Massaging the bridge of his nose, Alexander was about to give Mage a piece of his mind when he caught sight of the reason Mage had suddenly stopped.

"Ray, what are you doing here?"

* * *

"We need to hurry," Johannes pressed as he and his Divine Knights rushed back to the ship with Rose in tow. "We've already lost track of Kayden and Kaleb; we can't afford to lose any more people.

In just a few more minutes, the Knights had finally arrived back at the ship, though the scene was eerily quiet, too much so for even a fleeting sense of peace. Johannes called for his men to hold place several yards away from the ship's position and called on three men to accompany him in investigating. The first thing of note was that the White Knights he'd tasked with keeping guard were nowhere to be seen from the shore.

Walking up the unguarded ramp onto the deck, the four Knights were shocked by the sight: sprawled all over the deck was the unconscious forms of almost each White Knight that had stayed behind as well as that of many of the rebels turned pirates. Strolling through the sea of their downed allies, the veteran soldiers quickly saw that, strangely enough, none of the men present had been killed (though that revelation did little to lessen the toll of the collective damage and injuries that had been brought upon them).

Slowing their pace, the four warriors took the time to gauge the extent of most of the injuries and check if any were close to regaining consciousness. About halfway across the deck of the massive battleship, they came across one such person. Bleeding profusely from the side of his head, the man began to stir before woozily lifting himself into a sitting position. His arm immediately went to his ribs once he was coherent enough for the pain to come pounding back. And, as he adjusted to the pain and opened his eyes, he was met with the four Divine Knights standing tall around him.

"Sir, I'm sorry; there was nothing we could do. He caught us by surprise and was just too strong."

Johannes crouched down and placed a strong hand on the man's shoulder to calm his frantic breathing. "Calm down. All of you are still alive; that's what's most important right now," the Knights leader consoled. "Now, slowly, what happened here? Who did this?"

"He came to the ship and demanded to speak with the captain. We explained the captain wasn't available, but he insisted on leaving a message," the man relayed, his voice rising with fear and desperation at recalling the memory. "He then barged onto the ship and started attacking at random. Half of the crew had already been taken out by the time we could mount a defense, but even that was futile as he tore through us like paper. It was unbelievable. We were merely ragdolls; even against all of us he restrained himself enough not to kill us. I don't know why, but he only took James and knocked the rest of us out."

"Who," Johannes pressed, trying to focus the man's attentions.

"I'm sorry; we shouldn't have held back. We should've fought with intent to kill."

"No, you've done nothing wrong," the Knights' leader reassured before asking again, demanding an answer, "Who!?" Johannes thought he may already know, but wanted to confirm before assuming the worst."

"It. . . It was. . .

* * *

"Leon!? What are you doing; this is no time for games," Bo yelled while ducking under a horizontal slash and rolling away from the downward strike that followed. Bo barely avoided the pressurized air slash that Leon immediately sent at him next, but his expression changed as he glared into his unruly friend's eyes. "Where's the real Leon?"

"Whatcha talkin' bout; you'll hurt my feelings?" The voice talking to Bo was Leon's, no difference whatsoever. And, Bo, had little enough patience for the real Leon's games, much less those of some copycat impostor.

"Answer my question or I'll hurt far more than your feelings. You certainly don't want the real Leon to catch you with his sword"

Aah, Cap'n, always with the threats. Have those ever worked? 'Sides you don't actually think you can beat me do you?"

"If you were the real Leon you'd know the answer to that," Bo replied in a low but serious tone.

"Oh," Leon taunted, "Even without your precious impact dial?"

Bo's expression turned sour at the informed reply. He'd used the brief exchange to cut the string on his bow and ready his staff for a fight for if by some small chance this was the real Leon (or even just a very good fake), he knew the only chance he'd get to do so was while Leon was still taunting him, otherwise the brash swordsman was relentless.

Knowing better than to let Leon set the tone of their conflict, Bo attacked first. Disappearing in an instant, Bo reappeared in the air above Leon and swung at his friend with his crimson wapometal staff. Leon effortlessly blocked the strike, but Bo spun in midair and came at Leon from below with a second swing. Bo was faster, but both he and Leon knew the small spear tips on the staff were rarely highly dangerous if not thrust into the opponent or aimed at particular sensitive areas.

Thus, Leon swung down on Bo who was crouched at his feet. Leon would've been the clear victor of the exchange, but Bo used another burst of speed to get away, appearing behind Leon where he aimed a straight thrust through Leon's midsection only to be met with a tremendous blood red air slash at point blank range. Bo barely avoided the attack with his speed, appearing a good distance away from the powerhouse swordsman breathing heavily just three moves into the fight.

"You really think you can beat me with those half-assed attacks," Leon goaded. "I always told you I'd beat you on my way to being the world's strongest, possibly kill you. It's going to take more than that little staff to beat me, and your limited Haki and Osu will only keep you alive for so long."

Bo shifted into a different stance as he got his breathing under control. His mind wracked every which way to figure out what was going on. Outside of himself, only the people of his home island knew he'd learned Osu from Master Ming and only Ming, Ray, and Leon knew about his Observation Haki as well as the strain using both extensively put on him. It only took a split second for Bo to get his thoughts straight and decide his next move, but in that time, Leon was already on top of him. Bo got his staff between them, but Leon's strength was greater than he'd imagined and he could only watch as the blade edge pressed closer to him.

Leon let a malicious smirk cross his lips as he forced Bo down with only one arm, snarling a taunt as he did so. "Did you really think I'd let you get that move off? You forget we all learned martial arts from the old man? And, while you were busy hidin' away in dat dojo, Ray and I developed our own styles. I know yer every move before ya can make it (even without Haki), and in the years since we last sparred I've grown stronga than ya can imagine."

* * *

"What are you doing here, Ray?"

"Never mind that; we need to investigate that explosion."

"No need," Ray interjected between Mage and Alexander. "That's where Bo is."

"Then we should go help him," Alexander countered.

"Plus, that looked like one of Leon's attacks just now," Mage added.

"We came in here to find that brute. We should reconvene and prepare for the next step immediately."

"No need. They're fighting an enemy right now," Ray explained. "Bo directed us to meet up with Kei and move forward with the plan. He and Leon will catch up once they're done."

Ray then turned his back to the two and prepared to lead them to the rendezvous point. But, Mage was quick to question his lead as he started in a different direction than the one Alexander and he had originally been following.

"That's not the way to the rendezvous point or the labs. We should head thirty degrees to the right instead."

Ray looked to Mage over his shoulder and answered evenly, "I came across a faster pathway in this direction. Now, hurry; there's no time to lose. Kei and Shaad are probably already waiting for us."

This area was actually just past the edge of where Mage had expanded his earlier scouting and he held no recollection of any indication of a hidden path cutting through this part of the forest, but he followed behind Ray without saying a word on the matter as he had no way of being certain and Ray had certainly earned his respect (if not his trust). Mage did however speak out on a detail that stood out to him as highly questionable.

"Ray, where is your segmented staff? I've never seen you without it."

"Bo and the rest of us were ambushed by a bunch of those things," Ray answered without missing a beat or slowing his pace, though Mage thought he may have seen a slight tension build in the chef's neck and upper back. "I must have lost it in that conflict."

"Mmm," Mage nodded, seemingly accepting the explanation. But, his grip moved down to his twin daggers - much to the confusion of Alexander behind him - as he spoke again. "Just one more question."

* * *

The masked Divine Knight, Kei, was rushing through the forest at a rapid pace. Though there was no one around him, a tense and pensive expression was evident in his eye and what little else was visible of his face. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, he felt a hand grip his shoulder. Kei instantly spun around, his sai sliding from his sleeves as he did so, and struck at the person, feeling the blade cut through material but no flesh.

"Whoa, what'd I do to you," asked Shaad's voice in innocent surprise.

Kei just gripped his sai tighter, sliding back into a fighting stance as he glared at Shaad. "What do you want? I've already had to kill my entire team."

Shaad's eyes widened slightly at the admission but that momentary expression and a short whistle was all he showed before speaking. "You too, eh? . . Relax, I'm not here to fight. I'm just trying to figure out what's going on. Shaad spoke with complete calm, unbothered by the man standing before him ready to attack.

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because," Shaad began before reappearing beside the Knight wearing a taunting smirk and placing a hand on his shoulder before finishing, "if it were for any other reason, we wouldn't be talking."

Kei jumped away once a feeling akin to fear crept up, but as if to prove his point and show his superiority, Shaad moved back-to-back with Kei each time the smaller man moved away before tiring of the little game and cutting him off. If you'd listen, I think I've figured it out."

"What?"

"I'll explain on the way. I have a bad feeling; we should hurry ahead."

* * *

"Come on; I know you can do better than that," Leon roared.

Bo kneeled just a few feet across from the swordsman, heavily bruised and with his left arm, lacerated and bleeding, hanging limply by his side. Bo lifted himself to his feet, still breathing heavily. He'd managed to catch Leon off guard momentarily by switching up his fighting style, but the only damage he'd inflicted, trying to minimize the amount of superficial injuries he caused so as not to make the situation even more dire, had been a few solid kicks and piercing him with a handful of arrows. Strangely, though, he wore a smirk as he gripped the staff tightly in his right hand and dropped into another fighting stance. "Sorry about that, old friend. I wasted quite a bit of energy trying not to hurt you earlier. I'll do better from now on."

Flashing a smirk as he finished talking, Bo silently contemplated his next move, knowing that if he didn't turn this around now he very well could die. Without hesitating, Bo charged forward, swinging at Leon with his staff from a low angle once he got within range. Dragging the bladed tip through the soft ground first, Bo used the staff to throw dirt in Leon's eyes. Blinded, Leon took a half step back and swung his sword down to block Bo's staff.

Bo immediately jumped up, going for a roundhouse kick to Leon's jaw, but Leon easily saw it coming even without sight and blocked the maneuver. He was surprised though when in the next instant, Bo dropped the staff and spun around him. Withdrawing and twirling an arrow in hand in one smooth motion, Bo stabbed the projectile into Leon's kidney. Releasing a slight exclaim of pain and wiping the dirt from his eyes in the same breath, Leon reflexively swung his sword around at Bo.

Bo ducked under the attack, stabbing an arrow into Leon's side at the same time, and struck Leon with a punch to the kidney, further aggravating the arrowhead already there and drawing another exclaim of pain before rising up and connecting with a hook to the jaw and reverse elbow combination as Leon instinctively curled to cover the injury.

Leon attempted to use the position to pull his sword back and slice Bo across the midsection but Bo used Leon's own broad shoulders to lift himself over the strike, coming down with a hard left knee to the center of Leon's face and swinging his leg out to keep the sword at bay for just a split second longer as he again landed in front of his longtime friend.

Bo then hit Leon with a hard straight to the solar plexus before assaulting him with a speedy one-handed combination of punches and elbows to the face and torso. Leon, though, stood his ground through the flurry of strikes and countered with a hard punch of his own.

Leon threw the fist just as Bo left his feet for the first time to throw a superman punch, giving him no way to dodge. With no way of avoiding the blow, Bo placed his already mangled right arm directly in the line of fire. Bo grit his teeth through the intense pain as the powerful punch crashed into him, jarring his very bones, trying desperately to maintain his close proximity. Despite the blaring instincts to do the opposite, Bo knew from experience that the best position for a speedy fighter like himself against Leon was inside the heavier man's guard, a high risk maneuver but the only way to safely combat Leon without killing him or pushing him into his berserk state. However, despite his efforts - diving past the downward slash to pick up his staff - Bo was forced to retreat as Leon released a pressurized air slash in a wide arc, only able to inflict a shallow cut to the tendons in Leon's arms as he dodged a fierce rising slash that released yet another explosive blast of condensed air.

"Hmph. A bit deepa and dat last cut woulda made my sword arm useless," Leon commented while Bo threw aside his shirt, now in tatters from Leon's last attack. "Glad ta see yer finally takin' dis seriously." Leon roared excitedly as he charged Bo with Akuma-õ no Kiba raised high before Bo was able to collect himself enough to dodge or deflect the attack to come.

Bo attempted to lift his staff in defense but his sore muscles all chose that time to throb in pain.

"Now, let's have some real fun."

As Bo waited helplessly - cursing his own weakness - for Leon to cut him down, a sword blocked the attack, making sure that strike never came to fruition, and a familiar voice spoke with glee.

"Yes; let's."

"Leon!?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Osu ('Push') is a technique similar to Soru. Ming was aware of and familiar with Rokushiki and developed his own version of a couple of the techniques, though only Bo learned Osu. However, that is not the end of Bo's hidden abilities.

 **P.S.:** James was the name of the man Bo's group found crucified in the abandoned cemetery.

 **P.P.S.:** There will be no updates for the next two weeks while I prepare for the Super Bowl and wrap up a personal matter. Thanks for reading and remember to leave your thoughts, on the story, characters, or whatever.


	15. Chapter 14: The Truth Is

**Truth of the Island**

Mage navigated his way through the forest slowly, his long overcoat in tatters and exposing the forcibly compressed material of the padded tactical vest underneath. Additionally, his accessories jingled loudly with each forced step as the many knives he usually kept hidden hung loosely off of him. The black clad man was clearly tired, taking slow measured breaths to recover from his recent exertion as his worn, bruised body felt heavy moving through the thick foliage of the forest and he was further weighed down by the weight of a full grown man bigger than himself bearing down on his right shoulder.

Alexander, the fine materials of his custom clothes also in tatters, trailed behind Mage in silence trying not to show just how tired he was as well though he'd already discarded his white button up as well as the purple and gold blazer, only keeping the white (with purple lion heads), gold trimmed handkerchief. Left with only the handkerchief he now wore as a bandanna and his slim fit, white slacks on top of the black high boots he commonly wore, Alexander stood amidst the daunting trees that surrounded them shirtless with sweat dripping down the lean, athletic slope of his exposed physique, a far cry from the station in life afforded him by birth. Distancing his thoughts from how far he'd somehow fallen, Alexander kept his eyes locked on the unconscious form of Ray hanging limply over the mysterious Mage's shoulder, watchful and wary of any movement. He and Mage may not have agreed on much, but, most certainly, neither waited with bated breath for the crew's head chef to regain consciousness.

 **[Moments Earlier]**

"Just one more question," Mage called as he and Alexander followed Ray along a hidden path. Taking the over-the-shoulder glance from Ray as a sign to continue, Mage did just that. "Where are you really taking us?" As the question left his lips, Mage suddenly stopped, followed shortly thereafter by the former prince and finally their lead, Ray.

Alexander looked puzzled as his eyes roamed from Mage, whose hands were already firmly gripped around the special set of twin daggers, to the suddenly tense Ray. He noticed the subconscious tightening of Ray's musculature and the calming clenching of fists first, but that was soon accompanied by a nasty smirk the likes of which neither had seen on the usually calm chef.

Ray's voice was also unusually dark and foreboding as he responded to the blunt accusation. " _Hmph_. I'd hoped this would be easy." Ray then turned around, massaging his fists in turn as he loosened his neck and finished. "I really do abhor violence. . . But, I guess there's no other choice; orders are orders after all."

Both Mage and Alexander were perplexed by Ray's end to the statement, but there was no time to linger as Ray charged forward with astonishing speed.

* * *

The slash meant to take Bo's head had been intercepted, and Leon flung backwards. Bo's eyes trailed up the standard saber in front of him and to the person responsible for saving him. His eyes widened slightly at the sight. It's not that he was all that surprised - having deduced something like this as a possibility - so much as the mere sight of two identical Leon(s) standing before him was a shock to his senses.

The newest Leon to arrive looked back at Bo with a sneer. "Don't tell me I'm already this far ahead of ya."

Bo stood and dusted himself off, returning Leon's gaze with a scowl. "I was caught off guard and didn't give my all."

Leon gave a derisive snort as he turned back to the impostor and muttered, "That betta be true or our journey together 's gonna be a lot shorter than ya expected."

Bo knew Leon wasn't just saying that to be an ass and understood the implication of those words. Leon would only stick around so long as he respected Bo's strength and Bo could provide good _entertainment_ for him. The second task would be simple; Leon's abrasive attitude could often attract his own fun.

But, the brief skirmish with Leon's clone did tell Bo he had lots of work to do if he wanted to stay ahead of the mass improvements Leon had already made over the past couple of years. That, though, was a worry for a later date.

"Yea, yea," Bo scoffed, outwardly waving off Leon's insinuation. "Let's focus on taking you - him - out first." Bo flashed a confident smirk at Leon, and Leon immediately took a half step in front of Bo, gripping the saber tighter while Bo, even with one arm limp and his muscles aching, also prepared to continue the fight.

 _'Somewhere along the line I must've forgotten the world didn't remain stagnant while I trained,'_ Bo reflected, keeping pace with Leon as they charged the fake. "We need to end this quickly," Bo yelled. Even though Leon had grown both physically and mentally, he still had that same bloodlust. And, just like when they were younger, it fell on Bo to keep that under control until it was needed.

Leon attacked the fake with a sweeping stroke of the saber. But, the impostor Leon charged forward to meet the attack head on, catching Leon's wrist and swinging back with his own attack. Leon caught the attack in the same manner, forcing the mirror images of each other into a deadlocked contest of strength. But, with an instantaneous burst of speed, Bo swung around behind the fake, intent on ending the stalemate as well as the fight. However, the fake Leon quickly caught on and reacted, releasing his grasp on the real Leon's wrist and forcing the release of his own with a knife hand chop to the offending arm.

Attempting to use Bo's attack to his dual advantage, the impostor Leon then slipped out of the attack's path at the last possible moment, twisting and lashing out at Bo's neck with Akuma-õ no Kiba. The plan was to decapitate Bo while the smaller man's momentum carried forth the attack and impaled the real Leon on the crimson staff's spear tipped end.

Bo, though, sensed the sword aimed for him in the instant before it came for his head and easily deduced the rest. Utilizing the superior body control acquired through years of intense training, he simultaneously ducked under the sword and slowed himself just enough to plant his foot - mere inches in front of his friend - and transferred the energy from the charge and thrust into a thunderous swing of the wapometal staff with his entire weight behind it. At the same time, the real Leon recovered from the tactic and aimed a ferocious swing at the impostor's unguarded back, trapping the double between the dual attack of Leon's saber and Bo's staff.

It was clear there was no room for escape for the lookalike, thus he never even considered the option, showing his back to Bo as he turned to block Leon's sword slash with Akuma-õ no Kiba. The fake had already resigned himself to taking a full hit from Bo's wapometal staff, choking down an exclaim of pain as the blunt body of the staff was slammed deep into his spine with bone jarring accuracy. Even through the intense, shooting pain, however, he still managed to get his sword between himself and Leon's saber strike.

Who had the upper hand, though, was distinctly clear as even with the nearly identical levels of strength, the attacker's advantage and the added leverage the real Leon had in the situation enabled him to push his impostor further against and past Bo's staff before sending the man crashing into the trees surrounding them, a number of the trees toppling from the impact. Leon though, relentless as he was, immediately prepared a follow up.

As the fake Leon pulled himself from the (un)natural wreckage of strange trees, the real Leon was almost upon him. He was barely able to escape the upended tree trunks as the aggressive pirate swung at him with a powerful slash, unleashing a torrent of compressed air in the form of a red tinted blade of energy. However, when the fake jumped up to avoid the attack, he was surprised as, looking up above him, Bo, having used the real Leon's back as a launching pad, was plummeting down with one of the staff's blades bared imposingly out front and aimed to go straight through the throat and heart of the enemy with a single deadly thrust.

* * *

A small puddle of a blue gel-like substance fell to the forest floor causing Mage and Alexander, nonplussed expressions clear on both their faces, to look with loosely hung jaws between Mage's shoulder where Ray had been and the puddle of blue gel. . . that was Ray(?) on the ground while Shaad pulled the silver bladed sword away from Mage's shoulder with a calm, almost amused, expression.

"What was that?"

"What's going on?"

Mage and Alexander found their voice enough to ask at almost the exact same time, only making Shaad's smirk grow wider as the smaller Kei stood beside and a bit behind him, unaffected by the scene.

* * *

"Care to explain," Bo questioned Leon as he stood in a similar puddle of the thick blue gel from his most recent kill.

"Not much I can say," Leon responded honestly. "Fell down some metal shaft where some overweight pig pricked me wit a needle; couldn't see 'im but lard ass couldn't move quietly to save his life." Bo couldn't quite stifle the chuckle that came forth at the hypocrisy of Leon calling another person out about not moving quietly. Leon heard the obvious snort but ignored it, moving on with a roll of his firmly muscled shoulders. "When I came to, was even more bastards in lab coats. Weaklings tried to keep me sedated, but obviously wasn't dat smart. Recovered enough to break free." _'Dem binds were tough as shit though,'_ Leon thought to himself, rubbing his still sore wrists as he remembered. "Kilt a couple o' 'em no prob then came cross a small army. Now they was fun. A bit weak, but fun; ain't fought so many different styles at once in ever."

The amused glee in Leon's voice wasn't even veiled as a malicious grin spread his lips. Bo attempted to reign the swordsman's thoughts in by asking, "What about the second Leon; any clues?"

"Pig kept talking about experimentin' on me. Said I'd be a great addition to his army, but first he was gon' have me _recruit_ the rest of my crew."

Bo mulled over this new information along with what he already knew for a short while before he surmised, "He sent you after us but, at the same time, kept you sedated. As illogical as it sounds, that Leon could only have been a -

* * *

"- clones," Shaad finally finished up a long winded answer he'd used to build the apprehension of the three men around him, all of whom's eyes went wide with surprise (even the single visible eye of Kei). "They seem to have the originals strength, mannerisms, and fighting style. . . even access to the same memories and thought patterns aside from some overriding loyalty, perhaps to their master and creator."

"My guess is the power stems from a Devil's-

* * *

"- Fruit and is activated through touch. I assume it doesn't take much or there wouldn't have been so many. From the information we have, -

* * *

"- the person behind the clones is most likely the person behind this island as a whole. He's a scientist and based off of the effects on nature around here, he's performed quite a few experiments. The wreckage at the coast also means a number of ships have fallen victim to this place. The island itself is -

* * *

"- probably man-made which would imply that giant maelstrom is as well. As for those zombie-like creatures we faced, it's pretty safe to assume whoever's behind this is working on something big, dangerously big, and -

* * *

"- if he's successful, the entire crew will be in big trouble. We have to stop him."

"Sounds fun. But, why not let him finish his little project. I think it'd be interestin'." There was a slight glimmer in Leon's predatory stare as he examined his reclaimed Akuma-õ no Kiba for any scratches or chips, clearly anticipating the myriad types of foes that undoubtedly awaited him.

Bo gave Leon a quick look that said 'I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that' before declaring, "The others are probably already at the rally point. We'll meet up and move from there."

* * *

"That all makes sense," Alexander spoke up as Shaad finished his lengthy explanation. "but how'd you know Ray was one of those clones?"

"Oh, I didn't," Shaad answered in a malign, carefree tone, much to the surprise and exasperation of those around him. "Judging by your haggard appearances and the cuts on Ray's body, I figured you all had been fighting, pretty seriously I might add. That meant somebody had been acting strangely. And since I'd already killed Mage, I took the chance that it was Ray." Shaad explained the whole thing as if it was no big deal, but one part in particular caught the attention of Mage.

"Wait; hold up. Killed me?"

"Yea," Shaad replied with a smile. "A clone of you approached me after the others and I got separated. I don't know if it just wasn't thinking straight or you actually think that, but that clone had the distinct idea I trust you," Shaad stated with a laugh. "Long story short, I killed you and you turned into a puddle of blue goop just like that. Similar thing happened with Kei here."

"Well, it seems this forest holds even more secrets than we initially realized." Everyone gathered turned to the new voice to see Ray emerging from the voluminous depths of the forest through a mass of branches and vines.

Mage and Alexander were quick to adopt defensive stances, but Shaad stepped forward and stopped them. "I explained there can likely only be one per person, limit of the Devil's Fruit and all. . . Or, at least I think I did. . . Meant to, at least."

Shaad just shrugged away the confusion as Ray, in quite a bit of confusion himself, took a step forward and asked, "Only one what?"

Shaad let out a tired sigh. "I'm not explaining this again. Clone; there's yours over there," he briefly answered, pointing to the blue gel substance staining the forest floor. Ray simply nodded his understanding before the three sides began catching up on what they'd each been through while waiting for their other two partners.

* * *

Bo and Leon, meanwhile, shared a friendly exchange of insults and biting remarks as they made their way through the forest, Leon eager to make up for the enemy he lost earlier as well as get payback for being locked up, drugged, and having his sword stolen whereas Bo wanted him to calm down, hoping they'd be able to get through the rest of that night with relative stealth and as little fighting as possible. After a few minutes of that, Leon cut through a couple of trees and blew them away, an impatient and annoyed scowl on his face as he stepped through the opening flanked by Bo who sported a visibly satisfied smirk even as his arm still hung limply.

"Looks like everyone's here," Shaad commented with a grin as he was forced to raise a hand and deflect a tree trunk flying at him. Everyone else's eyes soon turned their as well to see their captain and Leon approaching, the opposing expressions they each wore readily apparent.

"And what are you doing here," Leon growled to the smiling Shaad.

Shaad's smile never faltered, though, as he replied, "Bo had me come along to be the resident muscle since you got lost. I would've preferred to be sleep right now; it's past my bedtime after all."

Leon gave an audible snort but no further response as Bo stepped forth and placed a hand to his chest. "Enough." Bo's command silenced everyone as their eyes followed his to see a huge laboratory just barely visible over the looming treeline. With everyone focused, he made a final declaration. "That's our target. Let's take it."


	16. Chapter 15: Certain Death

**Certain Death**

The group of Bo, Leon, Ray, Alexander, Mage, Kei, and Shaad moved quickly but cautiously through the forest, each of them wary of their surroundings and on the lookout for possible enemies. They were getting into the heart of enemy territory and, while not ideal, they followed as straight a path as possible to the lab due to the majority of their numbers having already been in rather intense conflict and the need to conserve energy for any future run-ins during this venture. Thus, Shaad and Kei were sent a short distance ahead being two of the healthier and energized fighters while the others followed behind in a wedge formation, Bo inexplicably at the head with Leon and Ray flanking his immediate left and right respectively and Mage and Alexander in the rear most positions.

Bored, Shaad tried to strike up a friendly conversation with Kei about just about anything and everything, but Kei remained silent throughout. Though, that did nothing to deter the bored and lazy Shaad, earning him a raised eyebrow from the smaller man as he rambled on in a one-sided conversation as if the other man were responding.

Seemingly unknown to Shaad, one of Kei's sai slid out from his loose sleeve as the smallest and quickest member of the Divine Knights contemplated whether to slit Shaad's throat or just cut out the freeloader's tongue. Ultimately, however, he opted to return the sai to its holding place, already having been shown how powerless he was against an opponent of that calibre.

Eventually, Shaad and Kei came to a stop and everyone's eyes locked on the massive complex before them.

"This is bigger than the ship," Ray commented absently.

"It's bigger than my family's palace," Alexander immediately added.

"I haven't seen many labs in my day," Shaad chimed in. "But, I'm fairly certain this structure looks quite a bit like a top secret government facility over some braniac's playpen."

Before them stood a sprawling four level structure that was painted a camouflaging green, brown, and black so as to blend in with its surroundings. _[A/N: Though, how someone could've not seen a building that huge is beyond me, but I guess the eternal 'night' played a part.]_ Taking a few more steps forward, the crew looked up at the towering bronze doors in front of them standing at an impressive twenty feet tall.

Shaad took the couple of steps forward to be within arm's reach of the imposing entrance and before any of the others could say otherwise or even knew what he was doing, he reached out and knocked on the bronze doors, a light knock meant to gauge the door's thickness and sturdiness. Unfortunately, in the empty space the sound resounded mightily. After knocking, though, Shaad pressed his hand firmly against the solid material and pushed the door open slightly, turning back to the others and commenting, "Well, either no one's home or they're waiting for us."

"Aren't they always," Bo grumbled lowly, his volume not more than a mumble.

"Huh," Shaad inquired.

"Nothing. Let's go; answers to this island's mysteries are just beyond these doors. Enemies, too; stay on guard."

There was about thirty yards of space between the head of their group and the front entrance with nothing but well-lit open space in the dividing gap, a far cry from the cramped, unlit forest they'd just left and even the debris laden coast where their ship had crash landed. Thus, with their respective weapons gripped tightly and either drawn or ready to be drawn, the group marched into the enclosed area, even more on edge at the inexplicable absence of obstacles.

"Well, someone's here," Alexander remarked in regards to the presence of light that had otherwise been absent from the rest of the island.

"Just watch out for traps," Bo warned. "They won't have given up that easily."

Just as he said that, Shaad suddenly stopped and drew both swords. With a smirk on his face, he waited, waited for something that only he could sense with any real clarity, waited for it to stop jumping around. All he needed was a split second and the jumping would stop. . . permanently. Or, at least that's the way Shaad figured it. But, before even he could react, a tall, lean man dressed in nothing but scrub pants and a lab coat appeared behind them all in the center of the crew's wedge formation. Shaad turned around and started that way, but before he'd moved even a step, the figure vanished, appearing not a second later directly behind Shaad.

The mysterious man pressed his hand against Shaad's back, but was gone before Shaad's blades cut through the space where he'd been standing. He appeared again standing in front of the steel door of the main building, a wide, condescending smirk plastered on the sharp features of his face.

Shaad felt something he couldn't explain, like a part of his very essence had been stolen from him. Both physically and mentally he was undamaged and unencumbered, but he just felt off. Pushing the feeling aside, though, Shaad took a breath to steady himself and pulled a toothpick from inside his jacket, placing it on his teeth. Brandishing both swords in front of him, Shaad flashed a confident grin to his opponent and stated, "I've always dreamt of facing a teleporter. Can you live up to my expectations?"

The sudden newcomer only laughed heartily in the face of Shaad's challenge, prompting the confident grin the young pirate wore to twist into an amorphous scowl. "Nice try, but I won't be your opponent for this fight." With that declaration, the lean man held out an arm that looked abnormally large and meaty for his slender, athletic frame - even with the lab coat hiding much of the detail - and a blue gel like substance began to drip from the fat fingers, pooling into an anthill sized mound which then began to glow and shift. The crew watched in stunned silence as the strange, semi-liquid material grew and expanded, taking shape into a humanoid form until right across from them stood an exact likeness of Shaad.

"Oh. . . shit."

Almost as if to challenge Shaad's inner monologue that things couldn't get much worse, two warehouse door sized, steel covers lifted from the ground on either side of the man and the copy of Shaad. From the unseen depths beneath the lab, hundreds of people swarmed forth, each one different and armed with his or her own weapon. All of them looked like normal humans aside from a handful seemingly modified with mechanical enhancements or drug boosters and a smaller number of fishmen. As the numerous forces poured forth, the mysterious man handed Shaad's clone the two swords from his back before the two seemed to almost disappear into the sea of humanity (using that word loosely) that now surrounded them.

"This must be the army you mentioned," Bo remarked to Leon, his eyes taking in the multitude and variety of the surprise forces. "But, you said the scientist was a fat pig; your ears are obviously failing you."

"More importantly," Mage interjected, an unfamiliar nervousness tugging at his voice, "that and the teleportation is two Devil Fruits. Only one person in history was known to have two Devil Fruits and he -"

"No," Shaad cautioned. "You're both wrong. Look on his chest, around where the heart is. Those are stitches (well hidden, but they're there). That arm - and who knows how much internal - were obviously transplanted. The scientist, the second Fruit's eater, must have had his own arm cut off in order to give this man here the power of two of the Devil's Fruits. Smart, scary smart."

"Good eye," the man in question congratulated. "That's exactly right. This is the Master's right arm. Even his blood and a piece of his heart are inside of me. I am merely an extension of his will; the head of the Master's security forces, Nepher. But, that's irrelevant. Your bodies will soon belong to the Master; unfortunately, only a few of you can still join his army." With those words, the lab's front door opened and Nepher retreated into the grand building, leaving the crew to face off against the (presumably) clone army of a few hundred plus Shaad's clone with only the seven of them.

Shaad, though, stepped forward without a hint of fear or nervousness, not hesitating in the least as he crossed his two swords and swung out at the opposing army. "Crossroads Cut!" Nothing seemed to come of the attack, but after a split second, a fissure began rapidly expanding along the lines of his sword strikes, leaving an X deeply entrenched into the ground and cutting through a large number of adversaries. Once the attack was about halfway through the enemy ranks, Shaad's clone charged forward and struck at the point where the two slashes appeared to cross between the two sides, actually managing to stop the havoc Shaad's attack was wreaking in its tracks.

Shaad was initially stunned by the ending sequence but recovered quickly and stood erect, the shooting winds seeming to avoid his imposing presence as they whipped all around him but never ventured too near. "I actually forgot about you," Shaad spoke in a pleasant tone to his clone, the look in his eyes not matching the friendly nature of his voice. "It's no surprise you knew that attack's weak point, but -" Shaad paused his casual discourse as the winds circulating around the area stilled completely with Shaad's clone at the center of the disturbance.

 **"Hell Miracle: Divine Devil."** The clone's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he held his arms out wide, his voice sounding hoarse, almost otherworldly.

At the visual and the attack's name, Shaad visibly shook, his swords trembling in his hands. "What's going on," Bo questioned the usually annoyingly calm hitchhiker, the force behind the inquiry unyielding in its persistence.

Shaad's voice shook involuntarily as he spoke, his words a statement of worry and warning as opposed to an answer. "That. . . Stop; don't use that attack!"

"What are you talking about!?"

"Quit whinin' ya lily livered lion sloth!"

Bo and Leon each yelled at Shaad, ridiculing and pushing him for answers in their own way as they watched - with trepidation - Shaad fall down to one knee, his next statement coming out scratchy and broken. "That attack is taboo. At the cost of his life, he can kill all of us."

"Ten: The ultimate warrior is at peace with himself."

"He's counting down the ten tenets of a warrior's life," Shaad explained, his hesitancy lifted gradually as a dire sense of urgency overtook him. "Hell Miracle takes extreme concentration and focus. If we let him get to one, we're all dead."

As those words left Shaad's mouth, the crew had already gathered around him, each one rared and ready to go as he stood tall and tightened the grip on his swords. Bo was leaving the lead of this attack to Shaad as both the strongest and most well informed, and Shaad accepted it with indomitable determination.

"Nine: An enemy may be an ally, but an ally should never be a friend."

"We'll attack directly then spread out. Mage, with me. The goal is to create a small space around him to work in then attack. No one get behind him; I'll finish this."

"Eight: Tough choices are often wrong whereas the easy choices are rightfully difficult."

The battle had begun at full force around the clone as the group of seven pirates raced to beat the dangerous foe within the time limit of the agonizingly slow-paced countdown. Just as Shaad had figured, though, what remained of the enemy army stood in their way as they rushed forward. Alexander and Leon broke off from the left of the formation and faced the enemies to that side while Bo and Ray did the same to the right. Shaad, meanwhile, allowed himself to fall back a step and let Kei take the lead with his speed.

The crew's natural ability and keen forethought was on display in all three directions with the nontraditional pairs working together wordlessly. The monumental adrenaline pumping through their bodies at the weight of the situation only served to heighten their senses, bringing each person (and team) to their best. While Leon did his usual lone wolf charge and attack, Alexander rapidly figured out a few of the intricacies behind what Bo made look so easy and figured out some of the ways to use the range of his rapier, and the angles his skill with the weapon gave him access to, to work around the berserker and keep the path's peripheral enemies out of the way. In the opposite direction, Bo took the lead with his staff - his overall combat ability and bow shooting severely hindered without the use of one of his arms - and was covered by the expert segmented staff wielding of Ray behind him.

Shaad, though, acted in complete tandem with Kei; Kei using his speed and precision to either take out or cripple the foes in his way (occasionally leaving one alone completely due to bad positioning) only for Shaad to pick up the scraps. Meanwhile, Mage merely bided his time behind the duo, keeping an eye open for Shaad's signal as well as any openings in the enemy lines.

"Seven: Sacrifices are made and victories earned. The fulfilled warrior has many of both."

The first few lines of enemies seemed to be loaded with the grunts and put up little resistance against the emboldened charge, but as more powerful foes stood in the group's way and even greater numbers were allowed to surround them, their progress invariably slowed significantly. Leon came face to face with five monsters of men at the same time Bo and Ray were confronted by a twin sickle user and a skilled whip fighter and Shaad's force was stopped completely by three identical men standing around them.

"Six: Sacrifices made lightly bear bitter fruit, but those made too late are spoiled for naught."

Leon unleashed a powerful strike against the towering bodies before him, but even that only pushed them back and staggered them until Alexander added an attack of his own, the flurry of thrusts blowing even those gigantic men flying backwards and onto those behind them. Leon scowled over his shoulder at the smirking mug of Alexander before dropping into a horse stance and striking out at the nearest rows of enemies with a condensed air wave as if it were a reminder of his own dominance.

 **"Beastial Fury!"** Leon's roar and the impact of the attack could be heard across the battlefield and sparked offensives in the other areas as well.

 **"Road to Peace,"** Ray called, sending one end of his double knife-edged staff shooting forward only to have it caught in the enemy's whip, but he reacted immediately, using his strength to pull the offending woman forward and impale the meaty portion of her slim torso with the hefty knife blade on the other end he'd thrown out at the same time. For Bo and the opponent within Ray's 'road', it became a much more straightforward conflict, one that would've seemed a disadvantage for the injured Bo. But, he used his experience fighting on the fluid 'road' and Haki to narrowly avoid each of his opponent's strikes while backing the man up against the woman and impaling both of them with a powerful, precise thrust of his spear-tipped staff.

At the same time, Kei shot forward towards one of the triplets only to be inexplicably stopped in her tracks by seemingly nothing. Mage, though, immediately recognized the formation and the perpetrators.

"These are 'The Wire Trap Brothers'," he summarized quickly as the invisible wires in question dug into the robes and skin of Kei. "We have to attack all three at the same time." Kei's being trapped and tortured by the tightening wires was as good as an attack as, against the trap meant for one or two people at most, Mage and Shaad pulled the attack in two separate additional directions, stretching the wires taut and leaving their wielders virtually defenseless.

"Five: Death is unavoidable and destruction never ceases. Death leads to rebirth and rebirth brings about more death.

Four: A sharp blade can be blocked; a sharp mind is unstoppable.

Three: All is possible; nothing impossible."

With the haunting, almost otherworldly echo as its foreboding backdrop, the fighting intensified the closer the clone's count came to its impending conclusion.

"Two: Nature shapes me and I shape nature. I am the god of my reality."

Shaad's group burst through just in time; Mage and Kei jetting to the sides to curtail the influx of enemies.

"One." Two men, though, just weren't enough as Shaad still had to fend off enemies at this critical juncture. He pushed back the weaker hindrances just as the others broke through to help. However, Shaad had to hurry and prepare a decisive attack as he heard the last tenet being spoken. "This moment is the beginning and the end, the first and the last, so make it last and make it. . ."

Shaad crossed his swords and readied for one of his most powerful attacks, jumping and spinning rapidly as he positioned his body horizontally in the air. He spread his legs to land and struck out with the slightly heavier black blade, the blade made even blacker and given a fiery appearance by his Armament Haki.

 **"Crossroads Kill!"**

But, it was too little too late as the clone broke from its self-induced trance and lifted both swords up to the sky as he pronounced the last word.

". . . happen."


	17. Chapter 16: Miracles

**Miracles?**

". . . happen."

The word rang in Shaad's ears and he knew this was the end as his sword clashed with his clone's. There may have been another attack or two he could've used that would've worked, but each of those were ripe with their own risks of collateral, and self-inflicted, damage.

Shaad next waited for the impending rebound of his failed attack, but the feeling never came. Instead, his sword sliced through that of his clone as if it were nothing with his clone following suit soon after. The resounding effect didn't stop there, though, as the force from the slash carved through the ground and ripped through those in its way, leaving a huge gash in the front wall of the lab's main building.

Shaad then stood up, breathing a bit heavier from the exertion, and turned to the members of the crew who were all looking at him with various puzzled or simply annoyed expressions. "Oops. I forgot he didn't have my Devil Fruit," he said with a shrug and a stupid grin, trying to ease the budding tension. "Guess I overreacted a bit, huh?"

The action seemed to slow for a moment at the shifting tide of the battle as the members of the crew each looked at the imposing pirate quizzically, each with their own thoughts running through their mind.

"Tell you what," Shaad offered semi-apologetically with a bit of nervous laughter. "You guys go ahead. I'll finish up out here and catch up later."

Various species and mutations floated in human sized test tubes along the walls, stacked on top of each other and filled with a strange liquid. Looking around completely, one could even spot what looked like a giant's arm next to a container that no doubt held the same giant's head. Whether these were all merely test materials, failures, or ongoing experiments couldn't immediately be deciphered, but there was far from enough time to worry about that as Bo, Leon, Ray, Alexander, Mage, and Kei made their way through the open entranceway, a narrow bridge suspended over nothingness with those strange containers as far as the eye could see within the surreal, almost otherworldly rotunda filling each of them with an eerie sense of dread even as nothing seemed to stand in the way of them crossing the long bridge to the door leading into the lab's main halls and the location of a way off that god-forsaken land under the sea.

As they neared the halfway mark of the bridge however, the teleporting Head of Security appeared at the far end, a treacherous smirk playing on his lips as his hand hovered over a formerly unnoticed button on the wall.

"You know, this button never made sense to me until now. I mean, why would. . . Aah, that's beside the point now," Nepher teased as the crew stood frozen in his taunting gaze, helpless to what he might do next. "I must say, though, I hadn't figured the other guy to possess a Devil's Fruit power."

"Neither had we," Alexander concurred, sounding as if his words reflected the thoughts of those with him though speaking mostly for himself as Bo had had his inclinations on the matter and Mage actually knew for sure.

"That does make me feel better, actually," the off balance Nepher proclaimed proudly before swiftly shifting gears back to his original purpose as Kei and Bo had each tried to use the opportunity to catch the Head of Security off guard, cutting the remaining distance down by almost three quarters before Nepher declared with a nefarious smile, "B-Bye, now."

With the button in question pressed, the single bridge crossing the dark gap that flooded the room began to implode, crumbling from the center and expanding outwards in a blink. Alexander and the rest of the group still at the center were helpless as the bridge fell away from beneath them, leaving them at the unrestrained mercy of gravity in its purest form. Bo and Rei tried to outrun the calamity but, slowed by injuries and muscle fatigue, Bo fell a step short and the chaos caught up, the stone under his trail foot collapsing into the depths with him following shortly thereafter. Rei, though, fared better, outpacing the spreading destruction by a mere half step before lunging for solid ground.

Nepher's confident expression turned sour as Kei's outstretched hand reached for him. The idea was simple: press the button, bridge collapses, and the intruders die. But, these pesky pirates refused to go out that easily with one still reaching desperately for life. The sight sickened and enraged Nepher who vanished just before Kei's outstretched hand reached him, but not before leaving the shrouded warrior with the resounding pain from a forearm to the back of the neck that left him helpless to the pull of gravity as the lower half of his body failed to make the desperate leap in full.

The battlefield looked like a minefield with Shaad at its center, arms splayed as his ominous black blade was wrapped by a heavy chain and pulled left while the pristine silver blade was tangled in a special spider silk and yanked right. All the while, a large bodied brute with what looked like the throwaway engine of a fighter jet in place of legs charged forward, thick treaded tires kicking up clumps of grass along the way. Lowering his head, the man aimed a fearsome pair of horns at Shaad's exposed midsection and paired that with a pair of full length spiked metal bracers as he crossed his thick arms in front for a truly deadly combination.

Even with the looming threat closing in, though, Shaad simply took a deep breath and smirked. Gathering his strength and flexing as he did so, Shaad leaped high above the fray at nearly the last moment and pulled the two whose weapons of choice had his own tied up, a rough looking biker type and an attractive, olive skinned woman in black leather booty shorts and vest, into the proverbial line of fire and skewered them with the attack meant for none other than himself. Coming down and impaling the mechanical beast man hybrid with his now free swords, Shaad's attention was ripped away by the sound of clapping some ways off. Turning, he matched the sordid, demented glare in the eyes of the lean, lab coat wearing Nepher amidst some of the remaining members of the doctor's army he'd yet to defeat.

"Very impressive," Nepher applauded. "But I was rather hoping to catch another glimpse of your vaunted Devil's Fruit. The Master may yet decide he has use for it, whether in you or someone more. . . deserving."

Shaad was far from intimidated, however, inviting the challenge even as he still had almost a quarter of the army to take care of. "I don't actually like to use my powers; trump card and all," he informed with a casual shrug before declaring, "But, if you're that tired of living, then you're welcome to try and force my hand."

"Ha! Lovely, just lovely. But I'm not the only one that wants to see. . . All of us do." Nepher threw his arms out wide and the entire remaining army converged on Shaad.

But, true to his word, Shaad kept from using his powers to boost his speed, strength, or even stamina in combating the formidable threat. Slipping under a swipe from the first attacker, he cut into the man's side with both swords before turning to block a heavy mace strike with the black blade, cutting down the offending a foe a split second later. Shaad continued to cut down foe after foe as they swarmed him with near perfect form and precision, even occasionally finding the space to step back and repeat the move he'd just executed in order to get his timing and form absolutely perfect.

However, even for the skilled youth, what he had treated as a glorified training session eventually became a bit overwhelming at his base level as the numbers advantage took hold and the enemy swarmed him to the point that he was but a shimmering speck among the sheer mass of humanity. While he managed to avoid being cut or nicked even in the crowded confines, the deadly strikes drew far closer than they had till that point. And, when he felt a sword dig into the flesh of his lower back as he blocked the simultaneous strikes of six opposing swordsmen, Shaad pushed his natural raw strength to its limit and let it explode outwards, sending all six of the men before him launching backwards and to the ground before swiftly disengaging himself from the cold steel pressing against his spine and disemboweling the perpetrator with a cut across the gut and following that with a second slash that left the victim helpless and headless (without the upper half of his head at least).

The cut was deep enough to introduce a throbbing, stinging sensation to the pirate, but Shaad had stepped away before the pain became crippling or, worse, severed his spine. There was no time to rest, though, as still more enemies surrounded him and sharpshooters tried to gun him down from range. Taking the fight more seriously after suffering a wound, Shaad cut down man after man - including the occasional woman - and turned the shooters into as much his weapons as his own swords after figuring their locations from the first few shots. Without elevated snipers to contend with, keeping someone in the lines of fire was a fairly simple task for the expertly trained youth. That is, until a rocket whizzed by his ear. The close call spun his attentions around to the man responsible as he finished off the three adversaries he faced off against. Shaad caught a glimpse of the scarred and overweight, rocket launcher wielding man with a madman's leer, but the most startling sight was what he didn't see.

Next to the madman was an empty space where Nepher once stood, and if the sordid assistant wasn't there watching, then it was one more thing Shaad had to keep an eye out for. Without boosting his attributes, Shaad was barely able to get his arms up between himself and the secret lab's head of security as the latter appeared behind him and threw a hard straight at his chest.

Impressively, Nepher managed to send Shaad sliding back with that punch. Even more impressive, though, he put (and kept) Shaad off balance and on the defensive with staggered teleportations paired with strong, clubbing blows. What he couldn't do, however, was keep the well trained fighter from dwindling the army's numbers down further - from the last two dozen to the last half dozen -even while being pushed nearer the proverbial edge.

The fault in Nepher's powers came in that, much like Shaad's, they expended huge amounts of energy from extended or prolonged use. So, while he could keep Shaad from getting comfortable and finding a rhythm, Nepher found it disadvantageous to try and overwhelm his opponent with an all-or-nothing barrage of constant jumps and attacks from every conceivable direction while the pirate still held cards that could properly oppose him.

But, things changed when Shaad created a small bit of breathing room for himself and used the opportunity to shut his eyes, blocking out the sights that disoriented and challenged his common sensibilities. The strange act surprised and disappointed Nepher.

"Are you giving up," the tall and lean, muscled warrior asked, more saddened by the (perceived) squandered research opportunity than that of a formidable opponent. "I can't make a judgment on your Fruit's usefulness to the Master without more data. Show me your power!"

"That's a request most regret once it's been granted," Shaad warned, not moving from the spot he found himself in. "But, you'll find that out firsthand, soon enough."

Shaad could feel the change in the air that accompanied Nepher's change in demeanor and hear the pleased, almost relieved, sigh he released. Believing the Devil Fruit powered foe to be misunderstanding the full extent of the peril he was caught up in, Shaad chose to inform him as a final warning. "I only ever close my eyes for one of two reasons: to sleep or to focus. And, I'm not particularly tired right now."

"Oh, that's good," Nepher stated, feeling confident despite Shaad's serious and foreboding tone. If he felt any fear from Shaad's words, he didn't show it, ripping off the scrub bottoms he wore along with the lab coat. Left in only a pair of leather short shorts and a thick leather harness that showed off his fully trained physique in its entirety, Nepher drew two saw toothed hunting knives from the chest holsters and silently ordered the remaining clone soldiers to surround Shaad.

Each armed with some type of close combat melee weapon the opposition count was seven to one, and their movements weren't lost on Shaad who reviewed the situation in full and muttered, "Boost x1: Speed."

Left for dead in the entrance rotunda, the rest of the crew was far from that. While not as far as they would've liked, this trap, at the very least, would not be their demise. Mage reacted the fastest. Having faced similar situations in the past, the shady figure used steel wire tied around the hilts of eight knives and secured solid holds throughout the room, knives firmly entrenched and wires stretching taut as the ground gave way beneath Alexander, Leon, Ray, and himself.

Ray, in following Mage's lead, acted quickly and threw a side of his segmented staff at the wall. The heavy blade zipped towards the smooth stone and clanged uselessly away, unable to find a crack to embed itself. Ray, though, reacted almost instantly, pulling back the thrown half and launching the other almost simultaneously at the more cobbled, uneven stone above the bridge line. At the rate he was falling, his segmented staff barely had enough hidden chain to reach but the thick blade just hit the wall, burying itself an inch deep into a narrow crack.

Ray then grabbed Leon by the arm while Alexander caught hold of Mage's leg. While Mage and Alexander were secure in place, the two longtime friends were swung into the wall. The impact jarred loose the fickle hold his old kitchen knife had above him and he and Leon resumed falling until they both crashed into the solid ground some ten more feet below.

At the same time the rest of the crew were saving themselves, Bo rotated his body in midair after falling from the destroyed bridge and, using a large piece of debris from the imploded structure, lunged for the wall and pried his wapometal staff into a small gap between stones. The staff's resiliency allowed it to bend and still stay in place despite Bo's weight wearing on it, and, with it, he achieved safety from the dark depths.

Likewise, Kei was saved by catching himself on the wall.

Due to the limited cushion his head wrapping provided, he'd avoided being knocked unconscious by Nepher's sharp elbow to the back of his neck and recovered from the initial daze in plenty of time to bring forth his hidden sai and drive them into two separate tiny holes in the wall. From there, Kei pulled himself back onto the level ground that was the tapered walkway circling where the bridge once stood.

Alexander climbed over Mage (much to the latter's mounted annoyance) and used one of the steel wires locked into the wall to make it onto the walkway with Kei where Mage, wearing a deep scowl, joined them a short while after. Meanwhile, Bo used his staff and rappelled to the ground where Ray and Leon had risen to their feet. Calling out, the captain got the attention of each crewmember and gave his orders.

"Kei, Alexander, and Mage, I want you three to investigate up there! Ray, Leon, and I will check out what's down here!"

As the three up top moved to follow Bo's orders, Bo sparked up a light so his group could see what awaited them down in the pit, whether it was something he'd truly prefer to see coming yet to be determined.


	18. Chapter 17: Secret Weapon

**Secret Weapon(s)**

"It stinks down here," Leon grumbled as he stood up, brushing away the dust from his and Ray's unceremonious landing.

"Then maybe you should bathe more," Bo suggested as he alighted onto the ground.

Leon's retort, though, was interrupted as the illumination from Bo's makeshift torch temporarily blinded the trio in the dark, dank depths.

"We should go," Ray suggested now that they had a light source, drawing his two companions attentions away from their friendly bickering.

All three then looked at their surroundings. Leon was right; the area did smell a bit of rotted flesh and unattended excrement. What was most catching, though, was the loose bones scattered about. Many of them looked to be human, including the pile of skulls off to the side. Finding the source of the smell, Ray spotted a handful of decaying bodies just outside a rusted, grated, steel spike drop gate.

"Wonder what did that," he murmured.

"Probably that." Bo pointed to something large looming within the pathway behind the drop gate.

"Then what happened to it," Leon questioned, speaking of the decomposed state the animal's bare skeleton was in.

Bo simply shrugged at his own lack of answers as he turned and led them through the heavily secured steel door opposite the drop gate, providing the only bit of information he was reasonably sure about. "Looks like this happened some number of years ago."

"And smells like it too," Leon groaned, once again complaining about the putrid stench even as the trio slammed the door between the pit of bones and the pristine white hallway they now found themselves in.

"That long, huh?" Realizing what Bo was getting at, Leon thrust the sheathed Akuma-õ no Kiba at him, but Bo simply side stepped it without turning around, wearing a satisfied smirk all the while.

Ray just ignored their antics as he walked beside them. He understood that, despite their volatile interactions and Bo's serious demeanor, Bo and Leon got along so well in large part due to the enjoyment they found in getting under others' skin. The conflicts came when they turned that uncanny ability on each other, and Ray was no stranger to that; he'd long served as the calm balance between the two. And, with the trio now together in piracy it seemed he found himself serving that role again.

'No wonder I was so comfortable teaching children.' Ray chuckled lightly at his own inner dialogue. He was the oldest by a few years, despite not being the nominal leader, and the most mature by far when the three were alone and comfortable. The low noise drew looks from both Bo and Leon, but Ray waved them off and pointed to a set of double doors down a split in the hallway with a 'Keep Out' sign posted in front. Though Bo and Leon had been bickering nearly the entire time, they quickly silenced themselves and focused on the task ahead.

* * *

Mage and Alexander argued in much the same way - only without the friendly undertones - as they moved along their assigned path, much to the mounting annoyance and building impatience of Kei with them. With all of the clashing personalities and scattered thought processes abound among the central crew members, he was starting to wonder how this crew ever got anything done; it was almost the polar opposite of the organized and team-centric pillars preached and followed by the White Knights.

However, all three members noticed the uneasy simplicity with which they were able to move through the sanitized, gilded hallways. Almost as if they were being led somewhere. Before they could figure out where, though, the three found themselves on an observation deck overlooking a surgical chamber. (A/N: I can't fathom why a private lab needs an observation room to oversee its experiments.) Mage and Alexander quieted themselves as the automatic doors slid closed behind them and they peered over the railing alongside Kei.

Under the ominous, flickering lights, a large humanoid figure lying on the table in the center of the room under a white sheet could just be made out. The sheet was loose, but there was the vague outline of something - almost human but not quite - lying underneath, more than double the height of the average man.

"What is it?" Alexander asked quietly, a rhetorical question considering his companions had no way of knowing any better than him.

While neither of the other two verbalized a response, though, there was a loud groan and snort from the table in the room below. There was a slight shifting and the top of the sheet folded over and the figure lifted its head to look around, a vicious scowl on its frightening mug. The only way to describe the creature was to call it a monster. Just looking upon the thing would fill normal men with bowel-emptying fear and paralyze them in their tracks.

As it stood, the three crewmen each caught the breath in their throat, careful not to make even the slightest sound lest they further draw the beast's attention. But, stepping back involuntarily for a slow retreat, Alexander's foot lightly knocked against the leg of a chair. The sound was slight, but as Kei and Mage turned back to the creature, they found it was enough. With the head of a bull - complete with large horns - and the face of what could only be described as a black dragon, it glared at the crew members with fiery, demonic red eyes. Sitting up on the operating table, the sheet covering it surreptitiously fell aside, revealing an extensively scarred human body of massive strength and rippling muscles from the neck down to the legs where the strongly defined human features gave way to furry calves and ended in bull's hooves. Standing to his full height of a conservative 12 foot estimate, a thick, barbed tail hung limply behind him, leaving cracks in the floor where it landed.

Small smoke trails drifted from the creature's nose as the horned head tilted in the crew's direction. Opening its mouth enough to bare the huge, sharp teeth residing within, the monstrous beast bellowed out a horrifying roar, its acid spittle burning through pieces of the paneled glass between it and the three crew members.

"Run."

The sudden mandate shook Kei and Alexander from their fearful reveries, but the shock from the unbidden alarm in Mage's voice almost sent them into another one. They'd long lost the chance to escape quietly, and unless this monster's physique and acid spit were simply a well done faćade, their chances of defeating such an imposing beast were slim at best, lessened all the more by the enclosed space. Mage repeated his edict as purple smoke spilled from his sleeves in thick plumes and the monstrous creature released another bone chilling roar.

The observation deck was half flooded in smoke with Alexander and Kei halfway down the hallway when the terrifying beast crashed through the tempered glass. Fragments flew past Mage, a few cutting into his cheeks and arms but he remained focused on the real threat throughout. Ducking under an errant swipe from those thick, muscled arms, Mage directed a wave of smoke at the beast's front. Even the sheer weight of the smoke had no effect, but Mage was unconcerned as he unleashed the full amount of smoke in a heavily rotating swirl around the black dragon minotaur-like creature.

"Shouldn't we go back," Kei asked trepidatiously, his voice surprisingly soft as he spoke for the first time.

The light bass of Kei's voice barely registered with Alexander as he rushed away from the loud roars and sounds of destruction coming from the room they'd just left. While Alexander had only recently been introduced to the enigmatic crewmate, two things were already abundantly clear: he didn't like Mage and the man was highly capable.

"Mage can handle himself," Alexander stated. "We have to move forward."

* * *

Lights flashed on all around the arena like enclosure, blinding Ray, Leon, and Bo. They'd just stepped onto the dirt field after stepping out of a long tunnel, but the roof overhead indicated they were still indoors.

" _Nanonanonanonano_." Leon recognized the familiar cackle even as his, and the others', eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. "You lot really are like cockroaches, you know that? But, I'm actually glad you three could make it here," the mad scientist declared with a mischievous snicker. "Unfortunately, you're too troublesome to keep alive any longer. Don't fret, though; your bodies will all be _donated_ to science."

Ray, Leon, and Bo had recovered their sight and the sound of the overweight doctor's irritating voice was seriously grating Leon's nerves as well as his patience. "Oh, I'm gonna enjoy rippin' yer throat outta ya fat little neck 'n stranglin' ya wit it," Leon growled, stepping in front of the other two, Akuma-õ no Kiba's bloody blade exposed menacingly at his side.

"Ooh, such animalistic rage; I love it," the scientist squealed with a gleeful grin. "Yes, let your primal urge consume you," he goaded, his wide smile growing wider at the clear reaction he'd elicited from the swordsman. "Perfect! Keep that anger; I need to examine your brain in this state. Now is the perfect time to kill you all."

"And how do you plan on doing that," Bo inquired, hoping to learn more about his opponent in order to better combat him.

"I'm glad you asked. You and your friends will be the final test for my latest creation. Behold, L.U.C.Y.!"

"Lucy?" The name certainly didn't inspire fear, and as the three saw the _'weapon'_ in question, it looked to be the furthest thing from deadly.

'L.U.C.Y.' was a young girl - looked to be no older than 11 or 12 at most - with long, unkempt, and dirty, almost light brown, blonde hair falling down her back over the tattered t-shirt and jean shorts she wore. She of course had no muscle definition to speak of and, in fact, arguably looked a tad emaciated. Bo wasn't one to take any sort of threat lightly, but never did he imagine the mad scientist would trot out a pale and sickly little girl.

"You've got to be kidding me," he couldn't help but hope, practically gasping out the statement.

"Dear guests, I assure you, I kid not. Take a closer look," the scientist instructed, an ominous under current to his smug tone. "L.U.C.Y. - Lethally Upgraded Cybernetic Youth - is my ultimate creation; she is absolutely. . . per~fect. His voice was filled with pride as he, having moved behind the much smaller girl, stroked her shoulders affectionately and not the least bit creepily.

Only then, looking directly at the little girl known simply as L.U.C.Y., did Bo notice the cold, lifeless stare looking back at him from the empty, bottomless orbs she called eyes. Caught in the binds of that soulless stare, Bo almost missed the scientist slipping out of the room via an elevator at back of the room, the pained tingling sensation running through him from trying, and only partially succeeding, to forcibly flex the fingers of his wounded arm bringing him back to focus.

The trio could see light from the lift ascending, but still had the problem of the little girl standing in their way to deal with before pursuing him. Despite his own youth, Bo took no pleasure from seeing a child his junior fighting in a high-stakes battle. Even less so when they stood across from him. But, he would not let his personal feelings prevent him from doing what he felt necessary, no matter the consequences.

What made things slightly easier was L.U.C.Y.'s continued empty expression even as he charged her at his top speed. The girl could no longer be considered human with eyes like that: no fear, but no resolve either. Bo zipped by her, little more than a rush of slicing wind. Pivoting around, though, an image of a young Emma's back, destitute and dingy, flashed through his mind as he aimed a thrust at the girl; Emma, when they'd first met, looked nearly identical to L.U.C.Y. except with black hair. The brief memory flash caused Bo to hesitate for just a split second. And, that moment of hesitation almost cost Bo dearly as he barely pulled his staff back to take the brunt of the spinning back kick aimed for his head.

Sent sliding back a few yards by the counter, Bo blinked his eyes to rid himself of any residual images of Emma and tightened the grip he held on his staff, the pain from the kick still ringing through his one good arm. He then noticed the blood dripping from a cut on his cheek. It was only a thin sliver, but for it to happen without his knowledge; it had to have been during his first pass by. In addition to the apparent lightning reflexes and abnormally powerful kick, though, Bo noticed something else looking at his opponent. 'I cut her; I know I did.' Bo's thoughts were jumbled as he clearly saw the cut in her shirt, but there was no wound or blood. 'I felt the blade cut flesh. I'm sure of it, but. . .'

Bo ignored the lingering thought, opting instead to gather more information. . . the most effective way he knew: firsthand. Rushing forward, he launched himself into the air. With a midair spin, he came down aiming to stab his target from above. L.U.C.Y., though, easily dodged the attack by jumping back a short distance. But, Bo wasn't yet finished. Using his staff to springboard himself around, he struck out with a forceful side kick.

L.U.C.Y. crossed her arms and blocked the attack without flinching only to have Bo twist around and continue his combination with a flying back kick. Once again, the kick was blocked by L.U.C.Y.'s bare forearms and the young girl countered, after catching the roundhouse that followed, with a push kick of her own that sent Bo tumbling backwards along the rough ground.

Bo was at a loss. His attacks were being stopped at every turn, and this little girl somehow outclassed him in terms of raw strength as well. It also didn't make sense to him how she was able to stop his kicks without the slightest reaction. Bo was well aware he was no world breaker, but not even Leon or Ray fared well taking too many of his kicks directly, especially when strung together like that.

Based off all that and the stinging pain still shooting through his shin and chest, Bo formulated a plan. No matter what, this girl could not be allowed to stop him.

Bo strung his bow and fired off three arrows in rapid succession. L.U.C.Y. deftly avoided each shot. But, her movements put her precisely where Bo wanted. Utilizing 'Osu', Bo vanished, reappearing behind L.U.C.Y. in an instant. Not giving room to dodge, he shot an explosive arrow. In such close quarters, not even he escaped the blast radius unharmed.

For L.U.C.Y., though, the damage was far more severe than a few scrapes under a layer of dirt and ash. Because of how loose the ground was, the amount of dust and gravel caught in the blow up far exceeded Bo's estimates. Despite not seeing or sensing anything, Bo remained focused. He could tell L.U.C.Y. was still alive, in exactly what state being indecipherable, however. As the dust finally began to settle, though, Bo saw something outside even his calculations.

Taking the full brunt of one of Bo's miniature bombs at point blank range resulted in grievous injury as expected. But, instead of the burned, bloodied, and barely alive body of a little girl, Bo saw something even more cringe worthy. Through the drifting haze, L.U.C.Y. picked herself up from one knee. She had extensive burns and scarring along her back and extremities (the sinewy muscle underneath visible to the naked eye) and rested in a pool of her own blood. She made for a truly terrifying visage as she glared at Bo over her shoulder, no skin to speak of on her young face.

However, only Bo saw that side of her for after the dust up had finally dissipated and the lines of sight cleared, a significant majority of her injuries had already repaired themselves. Even as she stood, Bo could see the muscles and skin of her back threading together and expanding over the exposed bone. So, when she stood erect, her oversized shirt had been reduced to what could barely be considered a one-arm tank top - the loose material hardly covering her bare chest and not extending much below - while her already short shorts had been singed considerably, but she otherwise looked unharmed with only the blood around her giving any indication as to the extent of the damage suffered.

Bo then made a surprising move. Slipping the bow over his shoulder, he circled around the young weapon back to his two friends, holding her cold glare every step of the way.

"You look stressed," Leon snorted derisively, amused by Bo's pensive expression.

Bo continued his stare down with L.U.C.Y. a few seconds longer before addressing the lunatic swordsman. "I need you to finish this. Ray and I will continue on."

"Ya want me ta fight a lil' gurl cause you can't handle it?" Leon harrumphed incredulously at his own inquiry.

"Don't take her lightly," Bo warned. "That 'little girl' is more than meets the eye. In a full fight, I'd likely struggle quite a bit. . . even at full health."

"Sounds like yer blamin' me. 'Sides your arm's moving."

"Barely. And, painfully." Bo's response was curt and short, explaining, "L.U.C.Y. is possibly the most difficult opponent I've ever faced. . . Maybe even more so than you."

"Heh. 'Lax," Leon stated incredulously while stepping to the forefront. "No need for da hard sell; I was gon' do it anyway."


	19. Chapter 18: A Call To Arms

A **Call To Arms**

Although they'd settled that Leon would face off against L.U.C.Y. while Bo and Ray took care of the scientist, there was still the matter of how to get past the petite girl and to the elevator behind her. The crazy doctor was already out of sight range, and with each passing second he got further away, becoming more dangerous as a result. However, it would be a stupid move to act rashly in regards to L.U.C.Y. and neither of the other two knew that better than Bo who surveyed the area carefully while Ray and Leon waited - patiently in the case of one, impatiently in the other - for the moment they'd make their move.

"Come on," Leon barked, fed up with just looking at the dull scenery and the same three people.

"Alright, I got it. Ray, Leon, follow my lead."

* * *

"This is unbelievable." Mage had come upon an office filled with books after escaping the monstrous minotaur-like creature. A search of the room yielded disturbing results to say the least, and even the usually stoic Mage couldn't help but to voice his disbelief as he flipped through the doctor's notebook. "Failures; now it makes sense. Not just humans pushed beyond their natural limits, bones of carbon steel, teeth of boron nitride. If he were successful, war itself would be forever changed; anyone could be a one man army."

Mage reluctantly put down the notebook to scan through the pages sprawled across the desk. His eyes zipped to and fro trying to absorb every of bit of knowledge he could. Given his propensity towards poisons, it was no secret Mage fancied himself a man of science - granted one with a leaning towards use in actual combat - and was inwardly drawn to the work of like-minded individuals. Even knowing there was no time to linger, the secretive fighter couldn't pull himself from the material that had claimed his focus. "All of this is. . . amazing. It seems fantastical, but this research suggests he was close. . . Wait, I think I've seen something like this before. . . If I bring this to _them_ , maybe they'll give me another chance. . . But, first I need to understand it myself."

* * *

While Mage was entranced by the findings of an amoral madman, said madman marched along the white corridors of his lab. He wore a deep scowl thinking about the disarray that had befallen his secret hideout. Intruders running amok, the loss of numerous subjects. His research could suffer a setback of years. The only saving grace was that he'd finally found a worthy test of his ultimate creation. Sure, the beast had been strong, but in the end it was still a dumb animal. It couldn't react and alter its style on the fly, and it lacked the sense to push itself beyond limits to defeat a powerful opponent; only a human could do that. But, speaking of dumb animals. . .

'Hmm, it seems someone woke Drago,' the scientist thought upon spotting the empty bed in the surgery chamber. 'There's a reason I have a policy against disturbing him,' he grumbled, 'This won't end quietly, but I'll need to wrap this up quickly while it's only the staff I have to replace. . . To do that, I need to stop by my office.'

* * *

"Whew, that took longer than I expected."

'That's because you kept playing around with that teleporter.'

Shaad had just finished off all of the foes in the lab plaza, including the enemy commander, and was now locked in a verbal sparring match that he hadn't won in the four years he'd been stuck with the annoying voice in his head. "I'd never faced a teleporter before; I was hoping he'd be better," Shaad whined.

'Do you really think there's anybody this early in the Grand Line that could offer you a challenge?'

"I can hope, can't I? Besides, when we left six months ago, the world was already beginning to change. More and more powerful figures are hoping to spread their influence outside the New World."

'Speaking of which, we should hurry back.'

' _Ungh_ ; I really wanted to be done with that.'

Shaad's one man conversation was interrupted, though, as he stepped into the entrance corridor of the lab only to see that the bridge connecting the two sides had been blown up. In reaction, he groaned to himself.

'Well, that's just great.'

'It's not like you can't get across.'

'Yea, but it's annoying.'

'Just do it.'

Despite being as strong as he was, Shaad's internal attitude was very often similar to that of a child, preferring the simple solutions and complaining when things didn't go his way. Still, though, he sucked up his complaints with a deep breath and focused to cross the large, open pit that consumed the area.

 **"Boost x1."** With that, Shaad casually strolled across the open expanse as if there was an invisible floor beneath his feet, humming a zany tune as he looked around at the strange, disconcerting sights filling the room. "I take back my earlier comment; this is definitely a mad scientist's lab."

'Who knows? Might be a secret government facility, too,' the voice in his head offered.

'Well that's an off-putting thought.'

* * *

"We're finally alone," Leon taunted the emotionless L.U.C.Y. He had a couple more scars after helping his friends escape to the lift, but nothing too bothersome. The benefits far outweighed whatever discomfort he may have felt: seeing her healing ability for himself and getting a glimpse at her attributes.

Just thinking about it brought a predatory smile to Leon's lips. She was nearly as fast as Bo, reactions on par with Ray, and strength rivaling his own. Add in her durability and resilience, and an all-out fight with her was a truly tantalizing prospect for the fierce pirate, one that he could barely hold himself back from. And so, he didn't.

Leon burst forth and swung out with a vicious slash. L.U.C.Y. narrowly avoided the tip of his sword. But, Leon wasn't finished with her with just that. His dogged pursuit alone would've taken down most foes, weathering the storm of heavy blows from every conceivable angle.

It was a testament to L.U.C.Y.'s unique attributes that she could do it. Even more so, though, her seemingly innate skillset, swatting away the dangerous weapon at many turns. However, defensively was no way to win a fight against Leon, and his style of attack had a way of nearly nullifying most speed advantages. In response, L.U.C.Y. did the only thing she could do. Pushing against the ground in front of her, she created distance just before a strike to her neck connected.

Leon was rabid in his assault, though; he covered the ground between them almost immediately. But, L.U.C.Y. was ready. With a 360° pivot and palm strike, Leon's slash was slapped away, leaving him open to the clawed thrust that struck his midsection. Amazingly, his musculature repelled L.U.C.Y.'s fingers from piercing his stomach, but the force still sent him skidding backwards.

L.U.C.Y. was similarly relentless in her own attack, giving Leon no time to regroup as she appeared above him. A jumping roundhouse lashed out at him with lightning speed. Leon could feel the bones of his forearm crack from the impact, his feet driven into the ground despite blocking the thunderous strike. It was a battle for supremacy with L.U.C.Y. attempting to follow the kick through and send Leon flying.

"Finally gettin' serious, are we?" Leon remarked with a devilish grin.

Unaccustomed to not getting the better of a given exchange, Leon pushed himself to that next level. Exerting himself with a growl through gritted teeth, L.U.C.Y. was pushed back, landing on her feet after a midair backflip. Leon was beginning to really enjoy himself. And, he wouldn't let the target of such excitement get away, coming down on her with a vicious slash. It was all L.U.C.Y. could do to cross her forearms over her head. Akuma-õ no Kiba bit into her flesh and ripped forth before clanging against metal bones. The initial blow created a crater at L.U.C.Y.'s feet and with each subsequent second Leon's weight pressed her further down. But, while any normal person would've easily been killed getting caught with such a vicious attack, the human weapon's metal skeleton not only granted her the gift of not losing both arms to the attack, it provided her the ability to counter in a way foolhardy for anyone else. Jumping up and against the pressure of Leon's attack, L.U.C.Y.'s bones ground against Akuma-õ no Kiba's blade before skidding up along its length as she back flipped and planted a jarring toe kick directly on his chin.

The kick put Leon off balance and L.U.C.Y., the nanites in her system already stitching her back together, rushed to follow up. A hard right hook buckled the maniacal swordsman. And, a crunching elbow/knee combination disarmed him before a jumping roundhouse had his head spinning. But, flooring Leon took more as he blocked the straight fist that came next, assaulting the young weapon with a vicious haymaker of his own, wisely showing no mercy despite its appearance.

Both sides showed off their inhuman durability as L.U.C.Y. caught the second such haymaker. Shifting to interlocked fingers, the two sides engaged in a contest of strength. The veins of Leon's arms bulged as he pushed against the little girl more than holding her own. The stalemate was only broken when L.U.C.Y. used his own momentum to pull him in, connecting a double knee to his chin before driving both feet into his chest, blood expelling from his mouth as his back was driven into the dirt.

The handhold was only released as L.U.C.Y. attacked Leon with a merciless barrage of metal-backed fists to his unguarded face. Leon, though, used his weight to flip their positions. The tables were turned until L.U.C.Y. again planted both feet in Leon's chest, this time to push him off.

Following a quick kip up, any semblance of strategy dissolved as the two fighters traded heavy blows in a brutal brawl, both sides completely disregarding defense. Leon came in with an overhead right that shook L.U.C.Y. She responded with an equally punctuating uppercut before the clash of fists continued. After an errant straight, though, Leon's arm was caught and he was flung along the ground, a perfectly timed uppercut embedding him into the wall a fair distance away.

Leon was disoriented but conscious, staggering out of the indentation after a short breather. L.U.C.Y., meanwhile, just stared at him with those emotionless eyes from across the open space.

"Yea; me 'n you gon' have lots o' fun," Leon rasped out, swishing the blood in his mouth before spitting it (and a few teeth) out.

The unflappable goading smirk Leon wore must've stirred something inside L.U.C.Y. as she uncharacteristically initiated the next fierce engagement. Stumbling on his feet, Leon almost subconsciously fell away from a swift kick, nonetheless suffering a slicing cut across the bridge of his nose. L.U.C.Y. blocked the retaliatory overhead right, countering with a kick to the ribs. Grunting through the pain, Leon grabbed hold of her leg and swung her into the solid wall of the enclosure before barreling his full weight into her with a ferocious shoulder tackle. Through brute force, Leon drove L.U.C.Y. deep into the thick walls, ending the rush with a hard straight.

Unfortunately, a steel skeleton meant the move was largely ineffective as Leon's fist was caught and he was unceremoniously flung from the shoddy entrenchment. Sliding along the rough ground, Leon's hand caught on Akuma-õ no Kiba's hilt at the same time L.U.C.Y. burst from the wall at breakneck speed. In an instant, she was upon Leon. The attack happened in a blink, Leon ending in a three point stance and L.U.C.Y. spewing blood from a cut up her center.

Not even letting her body fall to the ground after inflicting such grievous injury, Leon turned his blade around and carved his way back down the body of the modified human. **"Horizon Cutter!"** Leon called out the attack with a challenging roar, ending his hellacious assault with a horizontal slice through L.U.C.Y.'s shredded, defenseless body.

L.U.C.Y. careened backwards from the attack's force as if struck by a metal bat. Fighting her fading consciousness, her eyes fluttered open. Instead of the sky zipping by, though, she was met with an up close look at Leon as his hand closed around her tiny throat and drove her into the ground, small, jagged rocks and sharp bits of earth making ribbons of the skin on her back.

Their combined momentum stalling, Leon lifted his petite foe into the air. Flashing a wolfish smirk, Leon tossed the diminutive scientific masterpiece high into the air. He then jumped even higher himself, peaking just above L.U.C.Y., and letting loose a threatening growl. **"Big Bark."** A sonic boom rang throughout the enclosed facility and the bionic girl was sent rocketing from a blast of smoke and through the lift tunnel she'd previously damaged in her attempt to stop Bo and Ray from advancing.

As L.U.C.Y. roughly bounced along the ground, Leon landed and was on top of her in no time flat, his grip securely replaced around his target's throat before he slammed her scarred back into the solid wall, the power of which sent cracks shooting through the cement.

"Come on," Leon challenged, his hard gaze watching her flesh stitch itself back together. Despite her healing, though, L.U.C.Y.'s body began to stiffen and go slack as the air was cut off from her lungs, eliciting a bloodthirsty smirk from the young man causing it. "Who knew this is all it'd take? 'S too easy, though." Out of frustration, Leon pried L.U.C.Y. from the wall and threw her back across the open space, his voice laden with contempt as he called after her. "I know dat ain't enuff ta finish ya! Heal up nice 'n quick, now. I wanna see if my bite can do da trick."

As L.U.C.Y. flailed across the ground, her damaged body was torn apart just as quickly as it was being put back together. Almost unnoticed, a syringe filled with a strange concoction fell from the ripped back pocket of her shorts shortly before her beaten body itself came to a stop, rising and falling with each shallow breath as she lifted herself up, briefly feeling the effect of Leon's merciless onslaught.

* * *

Across the facility, Mage tried to figure out a complex formula laid out before him. Despite it containing a few chemicals even he didn't recognize or had brushed off as purely theortical, he was able to get the gist of it. Reading the jotted scribbles at the bottom of the sheet, he was able to piece together the formula's purpose. "A serum to artificially bring out and enhance Haki with an aim towards activating Conqueror's Haki in able individuals?" It all sounded like a bunch of nonsense to the roundabout chemist, but the feasibility of such an ambitious formula became a secondary concern as he heard footsteps outside the door. Mage stuffed as many pages and notes into his vest as he could, but it was too late once he saw the door handle slowly turn.

* * *

Meanwhile, a fully healed L.U.C.Y. stood on her feet across from a smiling Leon, dried blood caking on her again unblemished skin. Her fixed gaze never wavering from Leon's stare, there looked to be a hint of unbridled animosity lurking behind those cold, emotionless orbs as she took a few steps forward, reached down, and took the dropped syringe in hand. Baring her boron nitride canines in a fierce snarl, L.U.C.Y. . .


	20. Chapter 19: The Hundred Million Beli Man

**The** **Hundred Million Beli Man**

The plain, monotone walls rushed by without preamble or pause. Bo and Ray raced through the hallways at breakneck speed, passing up numerous unopened doors without a second thought as Bo led the way, determination etched on his features. But, that speed and determination both flagged, replaced by a grimace of pain, as Bo slowed and clutched at his chest.

Ray easily pulled up alongside him, placing a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "Let's slow down a bit; you shouldn't keep pushing yourself this hard," the chef admonished.

"We don't have time to slow down. This is nothing," Bo challenged. "I've narrowed it down to two and my sense on one of them is fading fast. So, right now, we need to catch that bastard before he becomes a threat to all of us."

With a renewed burst, it wasn't long before the pair had arrived at their target location. Bo kicked open the door without slowing, and Ray came to a stop inside the office alongside him. The room was a disaster, as if ransacked and hit by a hurricane. Taking in the dented walls, the cracked floorboards, and stray papers still drifting slowly back to earth, Bo's eyes landed on the occupier of the room, their target, the overweight scientist. And, at the scientists feet? Just peeking from behind the askew desk was Mage's unconscious body, lolled and unresponsive as if sleep.

Bo burst through the floating papers with Osu, bringing his staff around at the target. At just that time, though, a metal prosthesis flashed from the good doctor's lab coat and blocked the strike. With minimalist resistance, the doctor slid back to the near wall, a cheeky grin emerging on his fat face.

With Bo standing between the doctor and his downed crewmate, Ray rushed to check on the enigmatic Mage. "His breath is shallow and heartbeat dangerously rapid." Pulling down the collar of Mage's shirt so he could get a better glimpse, Ray also noted, "The veins in his neck are bulging, too; they have a bluish hue as well."

Bo glanced over his shoulder to see, but a booming cackle immediately turned his attentions back to the scientist's smiling face.

"No need to worry; your friend's just fine. Or, at least he will be so long as I give him this antidote in the next ten minutes." The doctor's smile only widened as he waved a corked vial of green liquid between his fleshy fingers, eliciting an irritated scowl from Bo. "Though I'm eager to see which goes first: his heart or his will to live."

"Hang in there. We'll get the antidote for you." Ray consoled Mage with a firm grip on his quivering shoulder before standing up and moving to Bo's side.

"No," Bo growled as Ray joined him. "He's mine." Bo's voice was filled with pure malice, clenching his fists repeatedly almost to the point of drawing blood to hold the emotion at bay as his rage threatened to shake his entire being.

"Fighting I can understand," Bo spoke slowly and deliberately, not letting the demented doctor set the tone or pace while also keeping the time limit in mind. "I can even understand killing; I've experienced enough of both for a lifetime. . . But, toying with people's lives, mutating their very DNA, even cloning people to serve your sordid fantasies and make friends fight. . . That's unforgivable; it's inhuman. And, I will put an end to your vile, deep sea experiments."

Ray couldn't stifle the light chuckle that bubbled past his lips at his friend and captain's righteous indignation. "You almost sound moralistic, Bo."

"No, he just pisses me the fuck off."

Ray, of course, knew this was no time to argue semantics, and, like Leon, he could tell when Bo's mind was made up.

The doctor could also sense the powerful change in Bo's demeanor, and - like any good foe - took it upon himself to poke a hole in Bo's seemingly unflappable, inflated sense of self. "Even if, by some miracle, you two manage to save your friend there, the one you no doubt sacrificed to get here is already dead."

"Leon's far too stubborn to die that easily."

" _Nanonanonanonano._ Assuming that's true (and that's quite the assumption), I left L.U.C.Y. the perfected version of what I gave the thief sifting through my notes in case she struggled for some reason against the three of you. That formula is basically a straight shot of adrenaline putting the recipient in a hyperactive boosted state of fight or flight. No man, no matter how stubborn, can even hope to stand against her."

"Interesting," a new voice stated with amusement. Bo and Ray both recognized the voice while the doctor looked around for the source before a wall and bookshelf away from both parties imploded into the room and Shaad strutted through the gaping hole with a smirk. "I think I'd like to see that."

"Who are you?"

"Aah," Shaad woefully whined, "I thought I'd managed to make quite the name for myself. But. . . I guess I can understand, Dr. . . Stein Mechoni." The doctor's eyes widened considerably, visibly surprised by the revelation that Shaad knew who he was. Shaad noticed as well and continued speaking in a newly haughty tone. "I mean, you, a leading scientist in advanced warfare mechanics and technology, did disappear after falling victim to intense public scrutiny only a few short months into my. . . _campaign_. It's probably difficult getting regular news updates this far below sea level, huh?"

From the corner of his eye, Shaad spotted Mage's deplorable condition and Ray signaling him as to the limited time Mage had, and a smirk crossed his lips as his eyes remained locked on Dr. Mechoni. "My name is Cornelious Rashaad. Allow me to show you a bit of what earned me my notoriety."

Dr. Mechoni tried to prepare himself, but by the time his arms were raised, Shaad was already standing behind him and in front of Ray and Bo, smiling broadly.

"Mage should be fine after you give him this if I heard correctly." The good doctor was unharmed, but Shaad had taken the vial from his pocket and passed him by in just a split second, handing the sloshing liquid to Ray while placing the other hand on Bo's shoulder and speaking a few parting words to Stein without looking back. "While I'd love to give you a more _in depth_ demonstration, there seems to be someone ahead of me in line. So, I'm going to go watch the fireworks. . . You two have fun. . . And, watch out for surprises."

* * *

"It's been half an hour and we still don't know if we're any closer to finding this damn lab's control center," Alexander complained, his frustration mounting as the sounds of the dragon-faced minotaur's rampage continued one floor lower. He and Kei had quietly managed to not draw attention to themselves thus far but that did little to take away from the fact that they had no clue where they were or where they were going in the maze of identical corridors crisscrossing the building. And, as they came to yet another dead end - the hall splitting in two opposite directions - Alexander let out a huff of frustration before turning to continue right.

He was stopped, though, by Kei speaking up for just the second time he could remember, voice muffled and distorted by the ragged wrappings around the smaller man's head. "We've already gone that way." Anticipating Alexander's question, Kei went ahead and answered, simultaneously letting his sleeve fall to reveal a short piece of chalk. "I've been marking our path. This wrapping allows my covered eye to see the faint marks."

"And, you didn't tell me this until now!? Whatever, left it it is."

"Actually," Kei spoke up, jerking an increasingly frustrated Alexander's attention back to him. "I have another plan. I think we should follow that minotaur creature from before; he may lead us to where we want to go."

"That's not a plan, that's suicide."

"Dogs have been known to be able to find their way back home over vast distances. We just need to track him to the main lab where he was likely created; the control center is no doubt nearby."

"Oh, great point. One thing, though. . . That's a dragon or something, not a dog!"

"You have a better idea?"

Alexander paused, shoulders dropping slightly as he drew a blank. "That doesn't make this a good one." The prideful former prince ended his brief dissent with that last remark and the pair headed for the nearest staircase to seek out the very monster they'd run away from not long ago.

* * *

"Dr. Stein? I think I remember reading about him a couple of years ago," Ray pondered, rising to his feet after giving the antidote to Mage and ensuring his condition was stabilizing. "He's a criminal whose large scale human experimentation was exposed by the World Government. He was forced into hiding to avoid capture when they placed a 100 million beli bounty on his head. Though presumed dead, the Marines wouldn't drop the bounty without a body."

"The World Government didn't expose me! I supplied them with weapons of mass destruction for years and they betrayed me over some fucking exposé." Both Ray and Bo were taken aback by the sudden angry outburst, but they listened intently as Dr. Mechoni explained the truth behind the tale, choosing to know the full story before ridding the world of a malignant tumor. "I made it possible for those old bastards to maintain control all these years by providing groundbreaking weaponry to the World Government and affiliated nations, and how do they repay me? Those fools drop all record of me because the weak masses got all up in arms over some worthless trash."

"I was on the verge of something spectacular. Thankfully, God found me. God provided me with this facility and helped me gather my staff. Now, I've done it; I've developed the perfect super soldier serum, and I have God to thank. With an unstoppable army behind me, I'll make the government regret betraying me. Brand me a criminal? The world will know my fury as will the person responsible for causing all this. _Nanonanonanonano_."

Bo grimaced at the doctor's evil cackle, and seeing as he no longer had to rush to save the slowly recovering Mage, he chose to taunt his adversary. "How you can call that formula perfect is beyond me. It only took a handful of competent fighters on my side to deal with a couple hundred of those drugged freaks, and one man took out your entire army. You're not just a criminal, you're a dumb one. I'm guessing you're pretty weak, too. Probably just overheard a few secrets or something."

Stein bristled at Bo's use of the word criminal, but the ear-splitting laughter that followed soon after soured the pirate captain's satisfied expression. "Dumb! Criminal! Those were failures you faced; the first three versions. That formula corroded from within making them weak and brittle. You fools are the dumb ones for questioning my genius! You will see perfection, my perfection."

Stein held his arms out wide, palms facing upward, as he symbolically lifted the fifth iteration of his prized super soldier experiments from the floor and walls of his office. The entire back wall lifted into the ceiling while the intact bookshelf to the side turned inward. In all, fifteen drug enhanced men of varying body types stiffly lumbered forward, bursting forth through the walls and floorboards in some cases. With clearly stressed venous systems and thousand yard stares on the lot of them, they lurched into the room from the myriad of hidden corridors to back up Dr. Mechoni.

"Looks like we found the central control lab," Bo declared, taking advantage of the enemy's slow movements by firing three explosive arrows toward the ceiling. A small interval separated the first from the other two, and Bo watched from a safe distance alongside his friend as their entire opposition group was buried under two floors of debris and rubble.

Bo's victory was short-lived, though, as one by one the super soldiers rose from the destruction. A hulking man standing near eight feet with a broadsword befitting his massive size was the first to rise, cleaving his way through the thick slabs and making room for a slender individual in the shadow of a portly rogue followed by a number of fit warriors before the pile of detritus gave rise to a perfect bodied specimen with flowing blonde hair.

The pirates could only watch in disbelief, scowls weighing their features, as each of the fifteen soldiers lifted themselves from the piled mess and Dr. Mechoni stepped up unharmed from the midst of all the chaos, a cocky smile splitting his cheeks as he crushed a particularly large slab in the grip of his mechanical prosthesis.

"Thank you for that. I don't often release them so they take some time to get loose; that certainly helped."

Listening to Stein's aggravatingly sure tone, Bo's scowl deepened and he gripped the again unstrung staff tightly. "Ray, keep them off of me until I finish this, will you?" Bo continued to glare at the doctor even as Ray stepped in front of him and readied to make his move.

"My captain has no qualms with any of you aside from Dr. Stein Mechoni. If you would kindly step aside, you need not be harmed."

Bo nearly face palmed at his friend's prolonged diplomatic efforts, but was equally pissed off when Stein's mocking laughter resonated throughout the room.

"Cut the talk and split them, Ray."

Ray, not put off in the least by the unanimous refusal or the ensuing laughter, withdrew his segmented staff and launched one end to the ceiling. The flat of the blade rebounded off and redirected the weapon to the very center of Stein's super soldiers. At the same time, Bo charged at that very spot. Predictably, Stein's soldiers gave the weapon room as the attached chain would have given Ray some control even at that distance. Bo, however continued his push, the timing looking like the blade would come down right on his head.

"Osu." Using that technique, Bo zipped by just under the knife's tip where his momentum and his weight threw him directly into Dr. Mechoni's torso. With his staff held between them, Bo lifted the doctor up a slight bit and slammed him onto the central operating table, jumping off and landing on his feet near a control panel.

Ray also moved in conjunction with Bo, cartwheeling over the fifteen men below and landing in the space between them and Dr. Mechoni. From there, it would be his job alone to hold that line and keep Bo's fight a one on one affair.


	21. Chapter 20: Turning Point

**Turning Point**

 _[Continued from chapter 18]_

The syringe dropped to the ground, emptied of its contents. Leon simply watched the syringe as well as his opponent, waiting for any changes. He was sorely disappointed if he'd expected extensive physical differences (though he'd never show either way). L.U.C.Y.'s already emotionless eyes became more feral -pupils dilating - and her gaze shifted from cold and empty to bone chillingly intense.

Leon, though, was eager to see what other things may have just changed in their already fierce conflict. Rushing her, he unleashed a compressed air slash at close range. But, L.U.C.Y. had vanished. Reappearing behind him, she landed a devastating roundhouse that doubled the swordsman over sideways and sent him flying towards the wall. Leon recovered quickly, turning his body and letting loose another blood red slash, this one from distance. This time, Leon saw as L.U.C.Y.'s speed allowed her to virtually disappear, attempting to bisect her as she reappeared in front of him.

However, L.U.C.Y. caught the blade in her left hand and knocked Leon dizzy with her right. The vicious punch was enough to stagger Leon, but two more threatened to end the fight right there. As she released his sword, the only thing that kept him upright was his stubborn pride. That didn't help, though, as L.U.C.Y. unleashed a flurry of rapid fire punches into his midsection with blinding speed. Not giving him even a moment of respite, she twisted her hips and lashed out with her leg like a whip. The bone jarring kick had Leon flying like a rocket before his momentum finally slowed and he bounced helplessly along the rough ground.

It was only by chance that he was upright and on his feet when his back collided with the cement wall. But, it may as well have been symbolic as Leon pried himself from the wall without even the good sense to play dead and recover momentarily. L.U.C.Y. also wasn't going to let her opponent rest so long as he still breathed. She moved rapidly, going in and out of Leon's flickering vision, and put all of that speed and momentum directly behind her fingertips with a knife hand thrust. Leon moved out of the way in time, but still somehow suffered a cut on his arm.

Meanwhile, L.U.C.Y. wouldn't let something as menial as her hand getting stuck in the wall halt her attack, ripping through the unforgiving concrete and aiming a knife hand chop for Leon's neck. Leon ducked under the surprise maneuver and struck the human weapon with a horizontal swipe of Akuma-õ no Kiba. But, as his blade met resistance in the form of L.U.C.Y.'s metal skeleton, the petite girl showed off speed and reflexes that would've impressed even Leon, abandoning the failed chop and striking down with pointed elbow to his exposed neck.

Suffering such an unforgiving, direct blow to the spine, Leon hacked up blood and released the grip of his sword, his entire body momentarily going limp as he fell. His prideful resistance seemed to know no bounds, though, as he instinctively cushioned the impending impact with his hands, holding himself barely an inch off the ground in futile resistance before a savage straight to his lower spine collapsed him completely. The sickening crunch and crack no doubt signaled the end of the fight.

And, with her opponent down and seemingly out, L.U.C.Y. tore his sword from her hip, unflinching in her expressions, and dropped it to the ground. Two other intruders had gotten past her earlier, and it was her mission to find and eliminate them.

* * *

"You're even weaker than I expected," Bo taunted Stein, watching the overweight doctor lift himself up with a condescending leer.

Bo had struck the doctor with a few good combinations including a hard knee/axe handle combo that doubled him over most recently. But, he could tell they'd all done significantly less damage than Mechoni's wounded act implied. Stein was trying to draw him in while he was trying to get the doctor to expose all his tricks. The slow pace was fine with Bo. He had planned on taking his time to torment the sadistic scientist anyway. And, without having to worry about Mage, he had all the time he wanted.

However, the same couldn't be said about Ray. There was no one Bo trusted more to watch his back than Ray, and that confidence was well earned. Still, against fifteen supposed super soldiers, there was only so long one could hold out.

Pivoting, Ray let a straight punch cross in front of him, catching the offending arm and countering with a double back fist to the head and ribs before tossing the lean man over his shoulder. The drugged soldier proved more agile than expected, though, landing on his feet and attempting to reverse the shoulder toss. Ray, however, kicked the plant leg from under fighter and easily flipped the super soldier back first onto the ground.

That left the skilled chef open to two sidekicks direct on his chest. The simultaneous attack knocked him back and pushed his chest in, but Ray's endurance was nothing to scoff at. He recovered in time to lean back, just avoiding a pair of punches from behind him before wrapping their wrists in the chain of his segmented staff, with a few deft hand movements, and twisting his body around. With control of an arm from each of them, Ray locked up both of their necks. After blocking a series of strikes from other soldiers with the human shields, he discarded them by throwing them onto three others, the sudden jerk of the chain snapping the two soldiers' necks in an instant.

The pacifist Ray had little time to mourn taking the lives of the two men (even if they could hardly be called human after the extensive experimentation) as even more flanked him from either side. A scrum ensued in which it took every bit of Ray's skill just to parry and avoid the myriad of attacks aimed at him.

Managing to create a brief moment of separation, Ray's counter punch was caught by the single soldier he'd isolated and he was flipped by an over the shoulder toss. However, with his agility, Ray twisted in midair, landed on his feet, and carried the momentum into throwing the man over his head and into the rest, creating a second of separation between himself and the thirteen remaining super soldiers. And, just in time.

"Watch out, Ray!"

After sending Dr. Mechoni crashing into a shelf of samples and medical instruments with a sharp kick to the sternum, Bo's taunting finally hit a nerve. "Your super soldiers are being handled, you're being handled, and I have no doubt that little cyborg girl is getting her ass handed to her as we speak. I guess genius doesn't mean as much as it used to," Bo declared with a cocky smirk. "I really don't know which pisses me off more, that you tortured and killed hundreds of people for your sick experiments. . . or that you have so little to show for it."

Lifting himself from the wreckage pile of glass, wood splinters and experiment samples, Dr. Mechoni scowled at Bo and aimed the open palm of his mechanical arm at the young pirate captain.

"I'll show you my genius firsthand," Stein angrily growled.

Bo mentally prepared himself to react, watching as gun barrels extended from inside the knuckles and the ball of the thumb.

"Watch out, Ray!" Bo knew he could dodge even rapid gunfire, but Ray was behind him with back turned and would be directly in the line of fire should he move. As the sounds of machine gun fire and whirring from the miniature turret filled the room, bullets sprayed forth in copious amounts.

Bo avoided the initial burst with a quick use of Osu. Behind him, Ray kept a watchful eye on the doctor's actions, his hands moving at lightning speed as soon as the first bullet left its chamber. The blades of his segmented staff were imperceptible as they knocked bullets aside in midair.

When the doctor's aim left Ray to follow Bo, the confident captain was left scrambling. Using his wapometal staff to block some and his agility to dodge the rest, Bo moved quickly across the lab as bullets chased him every which way. Diving behind an empty gurney, Bo knocked it over and took cover while Ray jumped into the air. The chef threw one end of his segmented staff at the doctor's arm, skillfully blocking the machine gun like fire again aimed at him with the other.

Working in tandem with Ray, Bo peeked from cover and aimed an arrow at Stein's side as the doctor jumped back. The arrow rang true, but the doctor's robotic arm pulled back in time to block a second from piercing his skull. The arrow bounced off the cool, layered metal a split second before the doctor got a close up look at one of Ray's old kitchen knives. Somehow, though, Stein reacted quickly enough to catch the blade in the vice like grip of his prosthesis.

Examining the blade mere centimeters from his collarbone and carotid, a chilling smirk crossed his lips, flashing his sharp canines as he effortlessly shattered the blade between his unfeeling fingers. Ray immediately yanked back the staff (minus a blade as thick as his palm), glaring at the doctor cockily rising to his feet. Stein then reached into a nearby drawer, pulling out a corked vial along with some multicolored pills. Crunching the pills between his teeth, Dr. Mechoni proudly lifted the vial up and explained, "Diophorous Benixython. It's an acidic compound that eats away at fatty tissue. This particular strain has the unique side effect of transforming the byproduct into adenosine triphosphate; that makes it the perfect enzyme for my. . . _purposes_."

Bo's eyes remained locked on the doctor's mocking expression, but Ray's attentions were pulled elsewhere. In the open entranceway between the lab and office, the doctor's subjects still stood, the metallic pitter patter of used ammo falling harmlessly to the smooth tile below emanating from their number as their bodies expelled the hot lead with stoic complacency. The more off-putting sight, however, was the two whose necks Ray had snapped standing among them, ligature marks evident in their necks as they snapped the bones from side to side to loosen up.

"You cocky little shits haven't even begun to experience my genius. These things take time to loosen up after long periods of inactivity." Stein flexed the fingers of his mechanical arm forebodingly as he reveled in the duo's well-hidden but still noticeable surprise. His ensuing cackling soon gave way to suppressed groans of pain as the chemical compound he'd drank began taking effect.

"I think it's time we got serious as well, Ray." Bo noticed all of this, and knew things were about to get tougher for both him and Ray. "Sorry, but this next part's not for public consumption."

Ray understood the implication and threw himself headfirst into the fifteen enemies standing before him, powering the lot of them back into the doctor's office as they grouped together to stop him from isolating any one of them with the tackle. In his wake, Bo threw an oxygen canister at the ceiling, drawing and firing a special arrow from the quiver on his thigh. The unique arrow whistled its way through the air, flying forward at breathtaking speed and erupting in flames before piercing the full canister. The explosion that followed was more bluster than substance but that's all it took to bring down the ceiling, collapsing the floor above into the empty space separating the two rooms and the two battles.

With that done, Bo simply watched as Stein finished undergoing the self-induced changes. When all was said and done, no longer was Dr. Mechoni a portly out of shape scientist. Now, he very much looked the part of a legitimate physical threat to Bo: every ounce of fat replaced by solid muscle and a couple feet added to his height as he transformed into a hulking monstrosity of a man. Strangely, only now did the bulky mechanical arm look like it fit.

'And I thought that Tank fellow was big.' Bo let his eyes trail up and down the new appearance of the doctor, his jaws locked as he struggled to come up with a way to counter the type of strength Stein no doubt now possessed.

Stein didn't leave Bo time to worry about that for too long, though. He struck out with a hammer fist which Bo easily dodged, back flipping away when the doctor brought his fist up from the cracked floorboards and made to grab the agile pirate with his robotic limb.

Bo kept the encroaching hand at bay with an explosive arrow, using the resulting smoke cloud as cover for the arrows that followed. Both struck cleanly as the explosion forced Stein backwards, striking the doctor in the chest. But, instead of a pained howl, or even the muffled exclaim caused by being struck in the chest, there was only the empty sound of arrows falling harmlessly to the ground.

Dr. Mechoni laughed boastfully at the bewildered expression on Bo's face, his now muscled chest unharmed though the rips in his white lab coat told that the arrows had indeed hit their mark. "How do you like my genius now? You never stood a chance."

Bo barely shook away the cloud of doubt that lingered in time to bring up his one good arm to block the massive fist barreling towards him. Though, to say he blocked it would be a stretch in itself as he was still knocked back into a wall and put on his ass by the force of the punch, a painful throbbing sensation blaring from every cell of his only working arm. 'Just great. My arrowheads aren't enough to pierce his muscles and his punches are stronger than a man dubbed 'The Human Warship'. As Leon would say, this'll be fun,' Bo sarcastically thought as he struggled to his feet, a crooked smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

Bo's equilibrium was off. He shook on his two legs like a newborn babe while his arms hung slack by his sides. Stein reacted to that like a shark who smelled blood in the water, eating up the distance between them with long, powerful strides and tearing past anything in the way. Stein barreled his new hulking, monstrous frame through Bo and into the sturdy wall behind him. The lab and office were originally one room. One with walls specially manufactured to withstand blows of major force. Still, Dr. Mechoni buried the left side of his body deep into the wall, cracks spreading wildly from the fierce impression.

The only thing missing from the brutal attack was a victim. Bo, the intended target, used Osu to just escape out of the doctor's path, appearing behind him with a smirk while reaching for a specialized arrow from the secondary thigh quiver.

'I can finally feel my legs again,' Bo thought, loosening the tension in each leg in turn as he nocked the arrow and took aim. The arrow was unique in that it was a twin arrow with a coiled string extending from its base.

Bo held his fire, watching the doctor closely and waiting as the man pried himself free of the wall. Upon turning around, Bo's expression riled the doctor to an enraged growl of anger and annoyance, arms raised and outstretched in a menacing manner. Bo used that opportunity to release his shot. The special arrow split into two separate arrows as it flew through the air, the fluttering strand connecting them as each one pierced the wall on either side of the doctor's arm, burrowing deeply into separate cracks before securely hooking back inside the foundation.

Stein's arm was violently ripped back as the thin wire constricted around his wrist, and before he knew completely what was happening, Bo had drawn and fired a matching arrow at his other wrist, pinning him against the wall with arms spread wide. Stein squirmed and struggled, but to no avail. He soon calmed himself enough to look down at Bo with a condescending glare.

"You think this is enough to stop me, runt?"

"My master taught me, 'Strength wins battles, strategy wins wars. And, if there's no way to overcome strength, it becomes a war for survival.' Those are my specialty." Stein scoffed, but Bo simply motioned his head towards the doctor's bound wrists as proof. "That's high tension iron silk on each of your wrists. It can't be cut, torn, or snapped. And, the arrows have a special steel frame to keep them from being broken. There's no escape."

The doctor's confidence withdrew some at that, but he still had a retort. "You still can't harm me. It's only a matter of time till one of my many projects causes a massive disruption and brings down everything around here. I'll survive, but you won't be so lucky."

"That may be true," Bo replied calmly, a hint of cockiness to his voice. "But, do you have that sort of time? I'd assume your little cocktail serum has a time limit to it. All I have to do is wait for that to wear off and put an arrow straight through that prized brain of yours. . . Like so." Bo teased the fights end by firing another arrow, this one constricting around the doctor's muscled neck.

Dr. Mechoni unconsciously swallowed, indicating the truth of Bo's words and all confidence drained from his face.

"Wait," Stein called after Bo, watching the young pirate back away with a conniving smirk.

* * *

"I said wait!" Leon strained a yell from his downed position. He'd regained consciousness and saw L.U.C.Y. starting to walk away. Whether out of pride or sheer stupidity, he extended his arm and grabbed hold of the small girl's ankle. "I said wait. We're not through yet."


	22. Chapter 21: Fading Light

**Fading Light**

L.U.C.Y. looked down at Leon, struggling to move, with a blank expression.

"We're not done yet," he croaked out, his grip tightening on her ankle as much as he could muster.

L.U.C.Y. didn't even bother to shake off Leon's grasp, instead twisting around in his grip before moving to smash his face into the ground. Leon just rolled out of the way as the sole of her foot left an imprint where his head had been. But, Leon brought his arm with him as he rolled out of the way, sweeping L.U.C.Y.'s leg out from under her and causing her to fall back as she lifted her striking foot back up. Leon had apparently recovered more than he was letting on and had been playing possum to an extent as he hopped up and swung the significantly smaller L.U.C.Y. up and around before slamming her back into the ground. Leon then repeated the move a second time.

As he went for a third, though, L.U.C.Y. countered. Using her hands to stop her perpetually healing face from crashing into the coarse ground again, the petite human weapon showed her impressive overall strength by reversing the flow of momentum into a vicious mule kick that struck Leon square in the torso before kicking his elbow in and forcing him to release her ankle, following through to land on her feet after an unorthodox flip.

Leon picked up his sword while she turned around and the two fighters briefly squared off. Leon, brash as he was, quickly charged in for the attack. But, he was far too slow. L.U.C.Y. easily ducked under the powerful but wide swing, nearly crushing his wrist as she clinched on with a vice like grip. Not allowing Leon to escape, the cybernetically enhanced youth struck him in the neck with a knife hand that nearly forced his throat shut and followed that with a pointed elbow that surely broke at least one rib.

Leon would've stumbled back if not for L.U.C.Y.'s stranglehold on his wrist. Unfortunately for him, the merciless little girl wasn't through. She pulled him in and struck the larger fighter with a devastating elbow/ palm thrust combination in another attempt to cave his chest. Leon was all too familiar with that attack from his many fights against Bo, but even his precision couldn't match the amount of unbridled force this girl was able to transfer in the attack. L.U.C.Y. finally released Leon's wrist after that attack, allowing him to fall back in sure defeat.

But, Leon didn't budge. This wasn't due to pride or any immense stubbornness. Something had fundamentally changed within Leon. Whatever humanity was left within L.U.C.Y. could apparently feel it too as she instinctively jumped back from the immense killer intent pouring off him in waves. This was different from his usual. Shaad had commented to him before that his killer intent was too loose and uncontrolled. Sure, he could generally direct it, but his lack of control showed his inexperience. Now, it was reined in and condensed. As likely to lash out at a friend as any foe. A truly dangerous and volatile explosion waiting to happen.

* * *

Ray had begun to truly struggle against his fifteen foes since being separated from Bo's struggle. Nothing about the situation had really changed, but everything was different. Each of the fifteen super soldiers' approximate speed and power had remained relatively unchanged, but their attacks were crisper and better timed than any before. Additionally, they no longer 'sold' on his punches as if they'd only now decided to be serious.

Ray barely dodged a roundhouse kick to his head, grabbing hold of the offending leg and using the limb as a fulcrum to avoid the sweeping leg coming behind him. He drove both his feet into the chest of the sneaky attacker and pivoted to strike the first with a jarring roundhouse. But, his kicking leg was intercepted by another of the chemically altered warriors while the one under his sandal grabbed hold of his ankle and put him off balance. Throwing a hard straight to try and regain control, Ray's fist was caught as three men seemed to have him helpless.

But, Ray showed highly impressive core and leg strength with his next maneuver. First, he reversed the hold of the person who'd caught his forearm. And, using that new grip and a head-butt to set up the man's head as a handhold, managed to shift into a handstand. While unable to lift the men holding on to each leg, he was more than strong enough to dictate the action of their arms, jerking them up and throwing the two off balance as he violently twisted his core. The action flung the man off either leg and across the room in opposite directions while simultaneously twisting the neck of the man below.

However, even as the men he'd flung off him rose from the places they'd crashed, unaffected by the impact or splintered debris, Ray had no time to relax. As he landed, another attacked him from the front while he felt the rush of two more from behind. The one charging him head on came in with a powerful straight, the man's full weight behind it. But, Ray easily blocked it by twisting the man whose neck he'd just snapped into the line of fire, the punch crashing into the man's face with enough force to knock out a couple of teeth.

Ray then released his hold on the man who took the solid fist and tossed him into the attacker before ducking under two simultaneously thrown punches from behind, countering each with a thunderous elbow to the chest. But, Ray already knew such a strike wouldn't even slow them down - even if it would throw a normal man's heart offbeat - and flowed the attack into a double back fist, drawing blood, before tossing both men over his shoulders by the neck. Unfortunately, in that sequence, Ray almost missed the approach of a shorter fighter using the reeling two in front for cover. The fighting chef jerked his head back as fast as he could after tossing the two men over his shoulder, leading the punch to lessen the impact, but he inadvertently threw his head straight back into a double axe handle.

The jarring attack struck the base of his neck and rocked him, knocking him into a rising knee. The feeling of the knee driving into his gut preceded a vicious boot and Ray was sent tumbling across the room like a sack of potatoes. He was finally stopped when his back slammed into a wooden bookshelf, sending his skull jarring around for another tumble, and the shelf full of heavy, hard books collapsed on top of him. The unceremonious crash hurt, but, more than a little woozy, Ray hoped for a short breather to recoup.

His many attackers, though, either not knowing whether such punishing shots were enough to finish the skilled fighter or not caring, immediately moved to continue their assault. Ray heard the exertion as a large bodied man jumped high into the air with clear intent. There would be no rest. Not until either he or them could no longer move. And, he wasn't looking forward to the former of those two options.

Ray hefted himself up, the heavy shelf on his back and launched the hardwood accessory at his midair opponent. He then used the opportunity to charge the remainder while they were off guard. The charge wasn't reckless, though. Ray stopped on a dime with his left foot and pivoted on his right, redirecting all of his momentum, building it further, and channeling it into one of the few purely offensive moves in his repertoire: a clawed palm thrust to the opponent's core.

The force effortlessly traveled through the first handful of foes, but the more powerful ones lying in wait were only struck by the waning tail end of its power. Even the enemy struck directly by the powerful attack, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth from internal injuries, resisted enough to only slide back a few feet, his hasty grip on Ray bringing his attacker with him a short ways.

Ray stared into the soulless orbs of his closest foe, a demented smirk spreading the man's crimson stained lips. But, Ray was unperturbed. **"Eye of the Storm,"** he stoically declared, punching his 'clawed' palm in again, spreading his fingers and rotating his wrist at the same time to deepen and maximize the damage.

The loose grip was easily blown away, along with all of the enemies in front of him, by the sudden shockwave that surged forth just a few seconds later. That second wave of pure destructive power, sent forth like a focused tornado, pushed all of the chemically enhanced super soldiers flying back into a chaotic pile.

Ray knew that strike wouldn't be enough, though. Despite the immense destructive capabilities and propensity for devastation of the unique attack, it focused on traumatizing internal damage. And, even with the wall pressing in on itself and the loose furniture crumpled and in hectic disarray, against a group of foes who felt no pain, it would be foolish to believe such a move would do more than slow them for mere moments.

That was enough, though, despite it being one of his more exerted efforts, Ray only meant that attack as a chance to buy time and recover his segmented staff, which had been ripped from his grasp early on after the battle against the super soldiers had recommenced with each previous effort thwarted. The fourteen foes he'd thrown back were already scrambling to their feet not a second later as Ray rushed over to where his weapon lay discarded.

As Ray's outstretched hand neared the prized weapon and remaining knife, the seemingly forgotten fifteenth soldier made his presence known. The change in pressure and wind direction was unmistakable as Ray took notice of the large man's weight rocketing towards him from above. There was no time as Ray dropped the open hand just a few inches from its target, slapping the ground and performing a one handed front flip.

The acrobatics narrowly saved him from being squashed like a pancake, but Ray refused to let his many efforts be in vain. Flowing the impromptu flip into an attack, Ray drove the bottoms of his geta into the oversized man's skull. Coming down, Ray showed off his tremendous leg strength as the opponent's skull was nearly driven in. Twisting his body, Ray whipped around what would be his plant foot, hooked his other leg around the man's bulbous neck and chin, and launched his opponent into the opposite wall where the deceptively quick fighter crashed into the rising soldiers sending the lot of them flying like so many bowling pins.

Nearly angered, almost visibly so, the opposing soldiers quickly rose to their feet, rushing Ray and lashing out with another series of dangerous attacks. Ray was able to stay just ahead of his numerous attackers, expertly dodging and deflecting the bone jarring strikes with deft hand movements and expert use of the staff's internal chain to redirect arms and legs, as well as his own momentum in cases. But, a thunderous forearm slamming into the back of his head caught him by surprise and had his eyes rolling back until a knee to his abdomen had them bugging out. Ray's vision was hazy as the rising knee lifted him off the ground, but he clearly felt the gauntleted fists that crashed into each of his jaws next in a devastating uppercut - hook combination.

The valiant chef was sent hurtling back into the wall where a stiff shoulder from a scaled pauldron wearing lug drove him deeper in and expelled both air and blood from his lungs. The man then jumped back to let two much larger men finish the job, but Ray's remaining knife zipped from the small shower of debris. That threw one off course as the blade buried itself in the man's shoulder and Ray dropped down to let the second man's tackle strike in the wall just above him while he pulled the first man's charge into the body of the second soldier. Roughly ripping the blade from the soldier's shoulder, Ray effectively eviscerated the muscles within and made the shoulder useless.

Blood poured from fresh wounds and Ray breathed heavily, chest rising and falling with each strained breath. This fight was taking a toll on his stamina, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out, but having his segmented staff in hand provided some bit of relief which could not be overstated and a new turn of events made his outlook on the situation just a tad brighter.

While Ray knew he was better than the soldiers facing off against him on an individual basis and maybe even a one-on-five situation (if they were normal humans), multiplied by three, those odds were no longer in his favor. And, it wasn't even close. It hadn't gone unnoticed to the savvy fighter either that throughout the many clashes he'd had with any combination of the enemy fighters, there were three that almost never attacked (save for the occasional sneak attack by the smallest of that trio), as if waiting to see if their power would be needed. That prospect would've scared Ray if he'd let it, but there was no time for such an emotion. He needed to find a way to end this. Now.

And, at that moment, the solution might have just spoken up. "You look like you could use a hand," Mage's voice came from behind the group of enemies. Ray had barely spotted the glinting silver of the shorter, black clad man's daggers over the opposition force, but his appearance clearly marked a new checkpoint in this fight as Ray kicked off his wooden sandals and took up a more offensively minded fighting stance, bladed pole arm securely in hand.

The sight of an ally behind the group of enemies brought a small smile to his lips despite himself. "I was just about to get serious, but a bit of help certainly won't hurt."

* * *

While Ray's - and now Mage's as well - bout against the super soldiers reached a boiling point, Leon's do-or-die struggle against L.U.C.Y. was also nearing its climactic conclusion. L.U.C.Y. recovered from the initial shock of Leon's subconscious transformation quickly as her brainwashed conditioning regained control. However, something akin to fear still drove her to react in the way any respectable predator would when confronted and cornered by a more fearsome, more powerful beast: recklessly charging in for a last ditch attack, knowing anything else meant certain, pitiful death. She slugged Leon with a vicious right hook, but the swordsman was unresponsive.

Turning his head back against the force of L.U.C.Y.'s fist, Leon met the human weapon's empty gaze with eyes as cold and distant as hers. His overwhelming presence caused her to hesitate, unconsciously pausing for a split second before withdrawing her right fist and launching a haymaker left hook. But, Leon easily caught the fist, wasting no time as he raised Akuma-õ no Kiba above his head and slashed down, cutting the young girl down the center.

Blood showered down onto the two deadly fighters. But, blood, no matter how copious, no longer served as anything but a reminder that this fight would rage on until someone's heart gave out.


	23. Chapter 22: Fatal Miscalculation

**Fatal Miscalculation**

" _Nahahaha_!" The loud base laughter filled the enclosed lab.

Bo raised an eyebrow at his presumed captive's strange behavior. Stein had been silent for several minutes (making Bo believe he had finally relinquished hope), but then the scientist began laughing. Bo stood up from the splintered remains of a desk he'd been leaning against, eyeing the doctor warily.

"Have those drugs finally driven you mad," Bo asked with false confidence. He had little respect for Stein's strength or will, but fully expected the man's intellect to pose more of a challenge.

"No, I see clearly. Your demise, that is."

"Yep, definitely crazy," Bo half muttered. Dr. Mechoni loved to boast, especially when he was confident in his chance of victory. That made him an easy read, and a little derision had already proven an effective pry.

"This formula has a slow ascent and a quick come down. That means it takes time to reach its full potential. But, since you were so kind as to wait, I can now show you the full strength of my genius."

Bo was already using the explanation to try and craft a counter. He hadn't simply been twiddling his thumbs during those several minutes of silence, but he'd yet to come up with anything that yielded promise. And, this new information certainly didn't make his outlook more positive. But, Stein kept running his mouth and finally said something that could be useful.

"Unfortunately, I only get three minutes at this level but one is all I need for you. You will show me the proper respect in death!"

Even as he bellowed the last declaration, Dr. Mechoni was doing more than just talking. Banging his metal fist against the wall with as much force as he could muster, Stein ripped that arm free of the loosened hold, bringing a portion of the sturdy wall with him as Bo's steel arrows and iron silk still held. His now muscled right arm soon followed in similar fashion before both large hands wrapped around the thin wire choking him and he tore himself completely free of the wall, the piece of rendered stone that came too crumbling over the back of his skull. Crossing his arms, Stein rammed the two pieces of wall still around his wrists into one another, and the last of Bo's restraints on him fell uselessly to the ground as the imposing giant that was Dr. Stein Mechoni at that time was completely free, leering at his comparatively miniscule prey with a sinister glare.

"Your friend was right in that the bounty on my head forced me to go underground, but he was wrong in assuming it did so immediately. My bounty didn't stop at a hundred million. It nearly doubled before those foolish Marines finally realized the true extent of my genius. I made the loss of soldiers enough that they simply stopped coming after me; they've always known I never died. _Nahahaha_!"

Bo didn't need Stein to tell him that the bounty (even if inaccurate) didn't merely measure the secrets the scientist knew, the lingering throbbing spread throughout his torso had already told him that much. But, he was about to learn just how little he actually knew about the doctor's new physical abilities as Stein charged him faster than a man that size should have been able to move.

The doctor plowed towards Bo for an open arm tackle, leaving him little time to react. The lab was quite spacious, but with one end of it caved in, various equipment thrown against and crowding the perimeter, and Stein's massive size taking up a large chunk of space, that open space had become significantly impaired. And, as Stein closed in, room to maneuver came at even more of a premium.

The speedy pirate wasted no time as he opted to meet Stein's charge head on. Using Osu to push off the ground vertically, he slipped over the massive doctor's shoulder, and seemed to get away. But, Stein had a trick waiting for him. Reacting quickly, Dr. Mechoni reached after Bo with his mechanical arm, the metal hand launching out on a chain and wrapping around Bo's ankle. With his momentum halted, Bo slammed into the ground. Hard.

Stein bellowed a resounding cackle as gears turned within the prosthesis and Bo was dragged back to him. Bo struggled to escape, striking the chain and clawing for a handhold, but the hand's grip remained painfully tight while, with each failed attempt, Bo came closer to suffering the consequence of picking a fight with an unknown adversary.

Just as he was nearly in dangerous proximity to the monstrous mad scientist, Bo thought to try one last tactic. Extending his body as much as possible, he grabbed hold of his dropped bow and, raising it high above his head, drove one of the end spikes through a link in the chain pulling him in. The blade pierced the smooth tile of the floor and held fast. Bo, though, knew the measure was only temporarily as the continued traction threatened to rip the bow from the flooring.

Bo yanked an arrow from the quiver strapped to his leg and notched it, quickly taking aim. In a split second, he'd already fired. Another split second later, an explosion erupted at the exposed inner rim of Stein's mechanical arm. There was a slight buzzing from the internal mechanics as Bo wriggled his leg free and jumped back, grabbing his bow and creating distance while Stein drew the detached hand back and secured it with some electrical fuss.

Bo could count that exchange as a slight win, but it would take more than that to win this fight. Bo's mind, though, was less on winning than surviving. Make it through the next three minutes or so and this match was his. Stein wasn't going to make that easy, however. Bo was right earlier when he talked about turning their battle into a war for survival; he just thought it would be on his terms not his opponent's.

Stein then slammed his metal palm into the floor, sending reverberations throughout the room. With Bo off balance he looked to crush the young man under the weight of a hammer fist from his other hand. However, Bo wasn't unused to fighting on shaky terrain and easily dashed out of the way, moving out and back in with a strike to Stein's side. Even the sharpened blade tips, though, couldn't pierce the doctor's impossibly solid physique as Stein used the failed attack to launch another attack of his own.

Bo tried to jump back, but it just wasn't fast enough to escape Stein's new range as he was struck with a core-shaking backhand. Bo sensed the attack and brought his staff around to block, but the sheer force still sent him hurtling into the wall.

'I'm not sure how many clean shots I'll be able to take,' Bo thought, the pain from even a blocked shot giving his body pause. But, it was already too late.

Stein had never stopped and, showing off that surprising quickness, was already on top of Bo, arm locked tight and shoulder low. Bo was driven deep into the wall while Stein's feet never stopped. An end finally came when Bo's spine crashed squarely into a rebar pole, sending blood spewing from his mouth and his arms flying back into a rebar pole each.

Not content with just that, Stein buried a powerful uppercut in Bo's torso, blasting the young pirate through the bent rebar and into a small clearing in the wall, leaving the boy's motionless body there for a few seconds before dragging him back out into the lab where he flung him like a ragdoll against the opposite wall.

Stein could've killed Bo right there. But, he wanted the cocky youngster to know fear. See death coming. Feel its cold grip. And, know he was powerless to stop it. Or, burying him in rubble would work, too. Stein chose the latter, essentially carving out huge chunks of the wall above Bo's limp body with rapid machine gun fire and letting the pieces fall where they may. If a single of those large pieces fell on Bo's head, it would mean instant death. Otherwise, Bo's body would be crushed under the utter weight of the man-made debris.

After several seconds of total silence, a pained cough emanated from beneath the rubble, a sadistic smile spreading on Stein's face at the renewed prospect of his prey's continued suffering. For at least a little longer anyway.

Silence resumed, though, and after several more seconds of the same, there was a slight rumbling from the spot where Bo had been buried. Stein watched as Bo lifted the final heavy slab and lumbered out into the open. Stein, however, merely cackled at Bo's unexpected survival.

"It's been just over a minute and you're still alive," Stein commented, an increasingly malicious smirk taking root on his features.

"Just lucky, I guess."

Indeed, Bo was lucky. Extremely lucky. By all accounts, he should've been dead or, at the least, grievously injured. But, by some miracle, the large stone chunks simply fell over him, striking the floor around him while the size of each stopped any from hitting his body. The angles clashing against one another mere inches from his body, but never touching him.

"These walls are made of rendered stone reinforced with rebar piping and clustered concrete pillars throughout their 3 meter depth. How many times do you think you can take being driven into that before you give up clinging to this worthless life of yours?"

"As many as it takes," Bo responded with as much defiance as he could muster.

Stein looked to test that will through action, barreling his monstrous frame towards the staggering Bo.

"Osu."

Bo slipped past Stein before the doctor could box him in, but the towering scientist saw it coming this time, cutting him off with one massive hand. Bo was unperturbed, though. He'd stayed on the ground anticipating the doctor's insane reaction speed and was ready for it. As the doctor cut off his initial route, he cut on a dime and, with another burst of speed, was right in Stein's face, bow aimed and ready.

Thanks to the enhanced reaction speed of the mechanical prosthetic, Dr. Mechoni just got a hand in front of the arrowhead. But, instead of a piercing point or even a directed explosion, the arrow burst into a cloud of thick, black smoke. Continuing his ascent, Bo flipped over Stein's head and nocked two more arrows.

Blinded by the smoke, Stein instinctively turned his head to the sharp whistle behind him. Bo's arrows shrieked through the air, a clear target in Stein's eyes. The pirate captain timed the split second differential between impact times to give Stein time to turn fully into both arrows. No matter how big, a blinded man was much less a threat. But, Stein stopped his head that little bit short, locking his annoyed gaze on Bo out of the corner of his left eye. The first still struck cleanly - albeit at a sideways angle - piercing the retina of and blinding Stein's left eye. But, the second just missed its mark, scraping the hulking man's nose and scarring the brow over his right eye.

Bo landed on his feet with a skid behind Stein, cursing himself for the tactical shortcoming. He'd hoped to finish this fight by piercing the doctor's eye and brain in one shot - an idea that only came to him recently - but he figured partially blinded should be enough. It would have to. The same strategy wouldn't work twice and Bo knew that well. Unfortunately, his problems were quickly mounting as he fingered the handful of remaining arrows in his secondary quiver - 'Not many left. It'll have to do.' - while watching Stein emerge from the fading cloud, more angered than anything as blood poured from his left eye. A fierce roar filled the room.

Pure malice drove the imposing doctor as he rampaged towards Bo. But, it was that same malice that allowed Bo to slide between his legs and escape. As he rammed the wall with a full head of steam, Stein also felt an explosion on the back of his neck, the force of which caused some loosened pieces of wall to fall onto the doctor's head. Lifting his head and withdrawing from the wall, Stein had some additional bruises but nothing major. The move only served to increase his rage as he snarled at Bo like some sort of wild animal.

Bo had been simply an annoying pest. Even surviving this long was merely the actions of a cockroach. But, now he was a bee that had stung the more powerful doctor. And, like a bee, he would die for it.

Grabbing one of the larger chunks to have fallen on his head, Stein crushed it effortlessly in the vice grip of his metal hand. The fragment that remained in his palm, though, gave him an idea: taking aim, he repositioned his fingers and launched the piece sidearm with deadly speed and precision. Bo barely avoided being drilled by the object, but even still, he didn't escape unscathed. His legs, already damaged and exhausted, simply couldn't muster another Osu on such short notice. While agility alone kept it from striking Bo's temple or chest, he still felt as his left shoulder was forced out of socket not thirty minutes after he'd just managed to regain some movement in it.

Bo was briefly distracted by the pain of the blow as well as resetting his own shoulder (something he'd become painfully used to), and that was a dangerous thing. Only his sturdy wapometal bow kept his ribs from being shattered by the strong fist careening through the sky. The hook that followed, however, seriously rocked him, briefly knocking the pirate unconscious as he sailed through the air. That first bounce on the damaged floor, though, jostled him back to consciousness. Bracing himself for the pain that was sure to come, Bo skidded along the ground and forced an Osu, allowing him a brief reprieve from Stein's relentless pursuit.

Bo was exhausted. His entire body throbbed with pain, his Haki was rapidly wearing down, and the strength of his legs had long since passed their limits. He was moving on fumes already, but he still needed more. Add to that, his shoulder being blown out again and he was down not just an arm but a huge portion of his arsenal as well, specifically anything that could even hope to take the monstrosity facing off against him down for the count.

'Dammit,' Bo thought, dodging under a pair of Stein's swipes and recreating a bit of separation as he fished through his remaining arrows. 'That might work, but not with my arm like this.'

Stein ate up the space between him and Bo with a few long strides. Using his strength to peel strips of the floor up, the doctor cut off Bo's escape routes before lowering his shoulder and barreling into the spry fighter as Bo tried to go over his head, crushing the youngster against one of the few undamaged stretches of stone.

Bo again coughed up blood before having his chest crushed in Stein's torturous grip. There was nothing he could do to resist being flung across the room into a pile of broken furniture and tossed gurneys. But, his adrenaline surged to new heights as he watched Stein point the palm of that prosthetic weapon at him again. Ignoring the pain it sent shooting up his arm to do so, Bo nocked two explosive arrows and readied to fire them. It was like fireworks exploding within his upper arm for every moment he held it there, but he could only grit his teeth through it all. He couldn't afford to waste a single shot at this late juncture.

However, the mini gun barrels Bo expected to extend from Stein's knuckles never came. Instead, his fingers rocketed off, spreading out before arcing and converging on Bo.

Bo fired a single arrow in response, intercepting one of the rockets just as it exited its turn. The ensuing explosion blasted the closest rocket off course and into the ceiling. Noting the size of the blast, Bo kneeled against the wall while refocusing his sights on another of the rockets heading toward him. Once they were close enough for the blast of one to interfere with the flight patterns of the others, Bo immediately fired his arrow at the center rocket. However, a surge of pain at that precise moment set his shot off angle and into the leftmost approaching finger rocket instead. That blast sent his intended target careening upwards as well and left the remaining rocket flying towards him.

Thinking quick, Bo hopped behind one of the nearby gurneys, greatly lessening the danger of the explosion that followed though the force of the impact still sent him slamming back into the solid stone wall and knocked his bow from his grip.

'Less than a minute left.'

It was then that he heard the unmistakable click of Stein's guns setting. Willing himself to open his eyes, Bo confirmed his worries. And, with the ammo chambers already whirring to life, he quickly scrambled to pick up his bow while the first wave of bullets chewed up the ground behind him. The previous explosions had brought much of the ceiling caving in, fracturing metal beams, and leaving wires and beam fragments hanging. Using Osu, Bo catapulted himself into the rafters with a burst of speed. Stein trailed him with a barrage of bullets every step of the way as he jumped and ran along the exposed beams.

Bo had drawn another arrow before jumping to the ceiling's exposed skeleton, and even as he dashed around up there, he managed to nock the arrow though it required yet another Osu to give him the separation from the rampant barrage closing in long enough to take aim. Flipping from one beam to the next, he fired the arrow directly at Stein while upside down, engulfing the titanic doctor in another, bigger cloud of jet black smoke.

Blinding the enraged man may not have actually been in the quick witted pirate's best interest, though, as Stein's firing became increasingly erratic. He continued to avoid the bullets, but at times they became dangerously close. And, as he ran along a beam just as the smoke began to clear, Stein carved up a part of the ceiling directly overhead that had remained mostly intact.

Still, though, Bo stayed one step ahead. But, when the rest of the ceiling began to collapse, large chunks violently shook the beam fragment he ran along. Simultaneously, the smoke cleared and Stein again ran out of ammo. Unfortunately for Bo, his troubles weren't over. In addition to the rubble and stone fragments raining overhead, Stein was surrounded by a pile of debris that made for perfect projectiles.

With his immense strength and almost uncanny aim, Dr. Mechoni's stone throwing was just as dangerous as his mini gun if not more so. As one such throw again shook the metal beam Bo stood upon, the agile fighter was finally toppled.

However, instead of falling to the ground, his leg was crushed underneath a large stone fragment Stein threw next and pinned at an awkward angle against the thick, solid metal of the beam. Bo screamed in unfettered agony, his pained howls spreading far outside that room as he hung helplessly by a shattered leg. He'd never felt such mind numbing pain in his life. But, there was no time to be distracted. So long as he drew breath, he would fight to live. That was the promise he made long ago.

'No choice then.' Bo could barely keep from screaming out as he caught hold of a single arrow, as they all fell from his quiver, and realized which one it was. This could swing the battle in his favor, if only he could muster the strength to use it.

Stein charged while Bo nocked the arrow. He'd faced every arrow the smaller man had shot at him with little difficulty. And, as Bo struggled just to pull back and set the latest arrow (immeasurable pain etched on his features), Stein rushed to crush the immobile insect before him.

With a mixed scream of pain and unrelenting will, Bo finally set the arrow. There was no time (or need) to take aim, though; Stein was already right on top of him.

'This is the end.'

"This is the end!"

Bo released the arrow with a roar just as soon as it was ready.

"It's. . ."

". . . OVER!"


	24. Chapter 23: Convergence

**Convergence**

The arrow whizzed by the doctor and into the wall, drilling through the dense material that not even Stein's massive bulk and power could plow completely through as if it were nothing, continuing in a straight path down through the building floors and walls.

Shaad was watching the fight between Leon and L.U.C.Y. with visible intrigue from the rafters of the building's basement, eyes locked on the intense action below. His head jerked up as he sensed something dangerous approaching fast. Not from below where the brawl raged, but above.

The arrow Bo had fired emerged from the ceiling above Shaad and whistled through the air toward him. But, without panicking or taking his eyes from the spectacle below, he snapped his arm back and easily caught the arrow by its shaft, noting the extreme rotation it had as it burned his hand upon being stopped so suddenly.

Bringing it around to in front of his eyes, Shaad let his attentions be diverted from the nearly even fight. 'An arrow? That's obviously Bo, but. . .' he paused and shifted his leg as a green drip leaked from the cracked vial inset in the arrowhead onto the metal beam he was sitting and burned a small hole into the thick pillar. 'This looks like some of Mage's work. What have those two cooked up?' Shaad carefully examined the arrow in his hand, twirling it to get a look from every angle. He noted the diamond tip and whistled internally. The arrowhead had a sort of scarab beetle appearance with two sharpened barbs pointing forward, parallel with the diamond tip, and another two peeling back from about halfway down.

'For him to use this. . .' Shaad thought back to the piercing scream he'd heard moments earlier and stood up with a sigh, leaving the arrow prone on the thick steel beam.

"I'd love to see how you come back from this, Leon. But, it seems something else demands my attention at the moment." With those soft spoken words, Shaad vanished, the two fighters below never noticing his presence.

"That sounded like Bo," Ray declared forcefully, turning away from the pile of bodies in the center of the room to clear the mess of debris separating the office from the lab.

Mage lowered his arms to his side and let the purple smoke rescind into his sleeves while the last of the super soldiers dead bodies dropped onto the rest. He then turned his head, face soured with a sneer at the massive minotaur laying in the doorway. 'I can't kill you, but you won't be a problem anymore,' a calm, stoic Mage thought before heaving a sigh and moving to assist Ray. "He may be dead already."

"Did you hear that?"

"It came from just around this corner."

Alexander and Kei raced through the hallways following the symphonic crashes of the minotaur creature's rampage. Then, there was a bang. Followed by another. And another. Then, a scream. Bo's agonized scream assaulted their ears and hung in the air before a series of bangs and crashes brought silence just as they arrived at their destination.

For all intents and purposes, all the major players were converging. That is, all except for two. Having not even registered Bo's piercing yell, their inhuman brawl continued. For those two, so locked in their own heated battle, the rest of the world ceased to exist; there was just blood, blade, and bone. Together, those three silenced all of the outside world. And, soon one of them would be silenced as well.

Leon's and L.U.C.Y.'s battle had reached new heights of speed and power, neither side holding anything back. Leon was significantly bigger and more powerful (along with the added reach of Akuma-õ no Kiba) and both possessed comparable speed (though L.U.C.Y.'s agility was marginally greater). But, the seemingly outmatched L.U.C.Y. rivaled every bit of the ferocity and ruthlessness Leon put forward with her own, and actually pushed Leon just as much, if not more, as he pushed her. For, despite Leon's myriad of advantages and the boost garnered from his apparent loss of mental consciousness, Leon's condition steady worsened with each grueling blow while L.U.C.Y. remained near peak condition thanks to her artifical enhancements and healing.

Leon, though, had put the mettle of her healing - the pinnacle of Stein's genius - to the ultimate test as he unleashed another massive air slash. Cutting through the ground and the air above, there was no time to avoid it. However, the mere idea never occurred to L.U.C.Y. as she met it head on. Accepting the full force head on, L.U.C.Y. powered through even as her entire body was constantly torn apart and stitched back together. L.U.C.Y. then burst from the other side, appearing directly in Leon's face and sending him spiraling with a fearsome, clubbing haymaker.

However, even L.U.C.Y. following immediately after failed to keep him down. He recovered quickly and caught himself, intercepting L.U.C.Y.'s rush with a stiff shoulder to the chest that took her breath away. Leon stayed on her, spearing his blade through her chest, but narrowly missing her heart. The bionic weapon's mouth went wide in shock before she pushed Leon off with a forceful boot, preventing further damage. All the while, going back for more without even sparing a moment to heal.

Both Leon and L.U.C.Y. were hanging on by a thread. Though, that thread should have been snapped long ago. L.U.C.Y. had been dealt multiple fatal blows, and would have died nearly half a dozen times if not for the nanites in her blood continuously healing her and bringing her from the brink, while Leon should have succumbed to injuries, blood loss, and more long ago. But, both still breathed, still stood. . . still fought. Either Death wasn't around or he was simply too scared to claim a victim.

It was looking more and more like the latter as Leon and L.U.C.Y. exchanged a medley of lethal attacks, their clashing strikes sending a seismic shift through the area and rocking the very pillars that held up the giant underwater facility. Blocking a swift kick and having his own sword thrust diverted by the palm of the girl's hand before it could pierce her skull, Leon suffered a thunderous shot to the jaw from a right hook. L.U.C.Y. didn't grimace or react in the least as Leon was sent flying and his sword tore from the side of her hand, the entirety of her focus remaining on the immediate threat.

Leon actually collapsed to a knee as he tried to steady himself, but was sent down to both as L.U.C.Y. blasted him with a knee to the chin that would've snapped a normal man's neck. Even on his hands and knees, Leon trudged along just outside of Death's grasp. Just as Death's cold embrace seemed to descend onto Leon, blood spilling from his mouth and broken nose while his fist slipped in a pool of his own bloody vomit and dropped him to a forearm, he clenched his teeth and roared with life - a renewed edge to him even if his thousand yard stare remained blank of his usual battle ready fire - dissipating the ominous chill. It was as if Death himself feared that either fighter's next breath might simultaneously signal His last.

Leon's revitalized roar was quickly cut off as L.U.C.Y. came back with an elbow to the base of his neck. For a flash in time it looked like that might be the end. But, as she twisted around for a whipping roundhouse, Leon somehow blocked it with the blade of his sword. He was in no position to solidify his defense, though, and was still knocked along the ground. Bouncing and rolling along, he came to a stop, lodged upright in one of the already cracked, thick concrete walls.

L.U.C.Y. was slowed by the deep gash Leon's sword left in her leg, but it wasn't long before she launched herself after his fleeting frame. As she closed in, a handful of medium sized stones were thrown her way, but she easily bulled through such obstacles without slowing down. However, as she burst through, fist reared back ready to pummel Leon's skull deeper into the wall, Leon was ready and just a bit quicker. His left hand snapped forward, tossing dirt and small rocks into L.U.C.Y.'s eyes. Her fist pounded into the stone just to the left of his head, and Leon quickly responded with a hard right of his own that didn't miss. He wasted no time in following up, bringing his right fist back down and slashing the off guard girl from shoulder to hip.

L.U.C.Y. was sent rocketing back by the force, her blood further painting Leon's face as he pursued. Leon bounded into the air - jumping above L.U.C.Y.'s non-responsive, aerially prone body - and came down with tremendous force, smothering her face with his hand and driving her into the uneven ground while his knee drove into her gut. He rode her like that for a good yard or two before they came to a stop and he brought his arm back, readying to thrust his blade through her tiny little throat.

But, L.U.C.Y. wasn't finished yet. With a precise palm thrust, Leon's elbow was knocked inward to an unnatural degree and his aim thrown off, the bloody blade of Akuma-õ no Kiba piercing her shoulder and pinning her to the ground instead. Swiping his injured left arm away from her face completely, Leon fell forward and L.U.C.Y. met him with a mind rattling head-butt that caused him to stumble back. A thrust kick to the sternum later, and L.U.C.Y. had enough room to climb back to her feet, wrapping her bare hand around the sharp blade of Leon's sword and prying it from her shoulder before doing so.

The two inhuman combatants stood across from each other, both breathing heavily with dried blood caking their hair and smeared along their skin. It only took a split second exchange of eye contact for them to communicate their intentions with one another and the meaning was clear: I'll never back down. With only that moment's pause, the two sides charged one another. Leon struck out with a wicked straight, but L.U.C.Y. was that single step quicker. Ducking under his powerful arm and getting inside his guard with a swift move, she impaled him on his own sword till her hand was pressed against the solid muscles of his abdomen. Leon was merely angered at being stabbed with his own sword, clamping both hands onto the girl's smaller frame and scowling down at her as she struggled to escape. Spinning around rapidly, Leon flung L.U.C.Y. up and across the vast room, not allowing even a moment's rest before bounding after her.

However, L.U.C.Y. deftly rebounded off the wall and sprang back to meet Leon head on. Leon unflinchingly yanked the sword from his torso and swung for her neck. L.U.C.Y. targeted his with a swift kick from the opposite side. Both fighters blocked the incoming strike with their trailing arm, Leon's sword biting into L.U.C.Y.'s forearm while her leg dug into his. They were each knocked back by the exchange, but L.U.C.Y. landed on her feet while Leon fell to his back before popping up and gritting his teeth.

Standing tall, Leon clenched his entire musculature and steadied his heavy breathing. He watched as, across from him, L.U.C.Y. loosened her clenched fists, shifting to a dual knife hand, and slid one foot back as she lowered her upper body into a crouch. Launching forward, L.U.C.Y. vanished before his very eyes. Leon exhaled a single slow breath as he released the tension in his muscles. With a tremendous burst and immense power, Leon charged out to face the advanced human weapon, even if he couldn't see her.

L.U.C.Y. zipped by Leon, planted her foot, and spun on a dime, lashing out with a straight knife hand for his heart from behind. Leon, though, felt the intense wind as she passed and matched her sudden change of direction with one of his own, blowing her arm away with the blade of his sword. L.U.C.Y. flowed with the momentum and swung her left hand forward like a whip. Raising the elbow of his dominant right arm, Leon caught her on the wrist and knocked the strike aside. But, he still suffered a cut on his cheek as her hand shot by him.

Leon felt the slicing force pass by as well as the warm blood drip down his jawline, but paid neither any mind, blasting L.U.C.Y. with a devastating left uppercut. L.U.C.Y. stuffed the punch with her midsection as opposed to taking it on the chin and a fierce flurry was sparked on both sides. Swift, powerful shots rang out as Leon rained down heavy blows on the smaller foe and she responded with a barrage of lightning fast knife hand strikes. The two sides traded thunderous blows, neither side backing down as the brawl traversed all over the open basement. Leon looked to have the advantage as he knocked L.U.C.Y back with a stiff cross. But, as he stayed on her, she gave him pause with a kick that flashed in front of his eyes. Leon pulled his head away and avoided the strike (though just barely), but the cut crossing his nose just under both eyes told a different story. There was no time to figure out what happened, however, as L.U.C.Y. immediately set on him with a rapid assault of 'punches' and kicks. Leon was prompt in his defense, blocking many of the incoming strikes with his sword and deflecting others with his off hand. Still, though, despite preventing much of the flurry from connecting, Leon still suffered a myriad of new cuts all over his exposed torso. None were especially deep, though most did draw at least a modicum of blood. But, Leon wouldn't let something like that slow him down, even if his own well-being were ever a priority.

Weathering the vicious storm, Leon would not allow himself to be pressed into a corner. Through it all, he kept the full extent of the little girl's wrath at bay with a well-placed, if not voluminous, offensive of his own.

Being pushed back by a hard combination that pummeled his arms before breaking through his stout defense, Leon noted the puncture just above his solar plexus but ignored it, immediately jumping back into the fray and lashing out with a clubbing overhead blow. L.U.C.Y. was driven to the ground and barely crossed her arms as Akuma-õ no Kiba ripped through the ground towards her. The sheer force sent the girl's small frame rolling despite not doing serious damage, but L.U.C.Y. was able to extend an arm and bounce up, jumping out of range of the downward slash he pursued her with next, the power behind the swing splitting and raising the ground it struck. Leon kept his glare focused on the agile little foe. Flexing the muscles in his legs he pushed off the ground with as much force as he could muster. But, his body rejected the action and he stumbled into a kneel.

When pushed to the brink, Leon's instincts completely took over; he became a passenger in his own mind. For someone with a bloodlust of his magnitude, there was no greater rush than getting lost in the feeling of battle. The adrenaline rush. Despite the fact that when it happened, he lost control and could only vaguely remember what happened, that feeling stayed with him. That euphoric high. It was his drug (a far cry from the first time he lost control in such a way against his dad). And, with so few who could push him to that extent, he unabashedly sought out increasingly greater challenges.

Whether he'd always been like that or his body had simply adapted to him, he'd long stopped caring, and it didn't matter. He was him. Ceding control to his instincts allowed him to move faster, be stronger, than he ever thought possible. It allowed him to reach ever growing heights and face otherwise insurmountable odds.

But, such strength came at a cost. Ignoring the usual limits of the human body, he consistently put himself in situations where his body would be pushed further than his body could withstand. And, the longer he remained in that state, the worse such effects became as the constant stress on his muscles built up.

Bo and Ray were the only remaining people that understood the full measure of what Leon's bloodlust was capable of. While Ray would have preferred to hold Leon back from pushing himself so far, both he and Bo knew and accepted Leon's goal of being the strongest. Thus, Bo, much to Ray's distaste, had taken to directing and curtailing Leon's so-called berserk state to their advantage. A tactic that was quickly threatening to spiral out of control as they faced off against increasingly dangerous foes.

Now, though, there was no one there to stop him - only the person that had pushed him to this point - and the accumulated damage to his body was becoming too much. Through sheer will, Leon forced his body to obey him, pushing it even further beyond the natural limits. As L.U.C.Y. recovered and rushed in, Leon met her with a stinging, close quarters uppercut before being nearly overwhelmed by an onslaught of strikes. He only barely managed to lift himself up as L.U.C.Y. pummeled him with everything she had. However, roaring in defiance, Leon stood on barely still legs and connected with L.U.C.Y.'s chin using the hilt of his sword, forcing the modified youth back with a wide, arcing punch from the left.

It was only a glancing blow but it turned her around. Raising Akuma-õ no Kiba high above his head, Leon brought it down swiftly aiming to eviscerate L.U.C.Y. with the titanic blood red flying slash it produced. To counter, L.U.C.Y. performed a back flip, extending her leg and kicking out with all the strength her cybernetic body could manufacture, releasing a blue slicing current that nearly rivaled the magnitude of Leon's. The two air waves pushed against one another vying for victory, even blowing their creators back with the force from the initial clash. But, neither Leon nor L.U.C.Y. would let it go that easily.

Lunging forward, they met at the precise point their attacks still struggled for dominance. Leon brought Akuma-õ no Kiba up and around with startling speed, a trail of blood red flowing behind its tip as if it were cutting the very fabric of space itself. At the same time, L.U.C.Y. stiffened her hand like a five-taloned claw, bringing it down on Leon's sword with a deafening clang. The two connected in an instant and sparks flew from the clash of metal against metal while their original attacks simultaneously ground against the other. Both fighters roared loudly as they tried to will themselves to victory, defeat, and the certain death it meant, not even an afterthought as each singularly thought of crushing his or her enemy.

But, Death has a way of reminding you: even if it might take a bit of time, Death is undefeated.

* * *

 **A/N:** Finally **;** I've been waiting to really get into this fight. I've been imagining Leon & L.U.C.Y.'s clash almost since I started Crimson Pirates, and I think it turned out close to how I envisioned, though I'd intended it to be quite a bit longer. And, I definitely didn't see it ending the way it does.

 **P.S.:** Anyway,thanks to those who have kept up with this story to this point. Both of my stories will be suspended indefinitely once their current arcs end as I begin law school. Also, for convenience sake, I'm going to be transferring these chapters over to _Crimson Pirates_ in the coming weeks.


	25. Chapter 24: Surprises In Store

**Surprises in Store**

An earth shaking explosion filled the enclosed compound. At its center, the relentless L.U.C.Y. and unyielding Leon were both blown back by the tremendous, indiscriminate force, the scorching heat leaving its mark on both combatants but moreso on the area around them. As the already open space was cleared of even the tiniest bit of rubble at its center, the entire complex felt the powerful reverberations.

Once the dust had settled, Leon released a pained cough. He found himself buried beneath heavy concrete slabs, dislodged from the wall he'd been driven into. Every movement felt like a thousand suns exploding within him as all the pain he'd suffered hit him like a freight train. His body shook involuntarily and darkness clouded his vision with only splotches of light. But, Leon's spirit remained indomitable. Though he wanted nothing more than to give in to the immense temptation unconsciousness offered, he refused to do so so long as his opponent still stood - and she did still stand.

Removing the stones atop him and lifting his head, Leon saw, through a haze, L.U.C.Y. standing there. Her torso was shredded, the metallic skeleton of her right hand completely exposed, and showcasing a horrifying visage as half her face had been eroded by the blast, but still she stood, unwavering in the face of possible defeat as the nanites worked overtime to repair the immense internal damage and replace the synthetic skin. Leon's half lidded eyes, no longer empty pools, filled with a mix of apprehension and anticipation as he glared at the human weapon, ready to continue their death defying bout while he lay slumped beneath a collapsing wall.

His senses again his, Leon slowly made his way to his feet, using the demolished wall for a handhold as he staggered to an upright position. Gripping Akuma-õ no Kiba in his right hand and picking up its discarded scabbard in the left, Leon stalked forward, forcing his worn and tired body to continue despite his own extensive injuries. The battle hungry swordsman steeled himself, his expression hard and serious though his breathing was ragged. He ignored the internal threat posed by his two broken ribs as well as the handful more that were cracked to varying degrees, set aside the pain of the broken bone in his right forearm, and trudged on despite the numbness caused by the burnt and frayed nerve endings along his left arm. Reduced to seemingly little more than a walking corpse, Leon refused to give in even while his vision blinked in and out - coming in double when it came in - and fresh blood covered more of his body than it didn't.

More than being alive, it was a miracle he could still move. And, it seemed he'd require another miracle if he were to have any chance of winning against the seemingly unkillable foe. But, Leon didn't believe in miracles, the thought of losing not once crossing his mind even as he felt his knee shift out of place.

"Don't hold it against me, but it's time we end this." Leon's voice was coarse, his words deliberate. "Don't tell Bo I been holdin' back."

"Are you okay?"

"He doesn't look too good."

Haa haa. "No shit, Sherlock."

"Aah, man. I ran all the way over here and you're not dead? I probably missed the best part."

Everyone in the lab turned and scowled at the newly arrived Shaad. Ray and Mage were, of course, the first ones in, quickly dislodging Bo's leg and setting him on the ground. Alexander and Kei arrived a short while after, both breathing heavily. But, it was Shaad's intrusion that drew attention with the uncaring remark.

"What!? He's alive (if not well). Though, I know a little girl that could probably do wonders for that leg," Shaad declared, redirecting attention back to the far end of the room.

There, Bo released a barely muffled, pained grunt as Ray snapped the exposed tibia back into alignment with the rest of Bo's leg. It may not have been the best thing to do, but he couldn't simply stand by while the fractured shin bone protruded from his friend's leg. Mage assisted by gathering gauze wraps and some materials for a makeshift splint as well as alcohol and solvents to cleanse the wound, a process which prompted another surge of pain.

Once they were done, Bo's leg had been heavily padded with bandaging and made immobile. Ray hefted Bo into a standing position and gave his shoulder to lean on, careful to not let Bo put any weight on the leg. None of them knew much about medicine, but Mage had been trained in emergency first aid essential for a field medic and Ray had learned a bit over the years out of necessity.

Through it all, Alexander never turned away, his past as a military leader and Prince having ingrained certain stoic qualities in his composure. Kei, though, was quick to turn away from the gruesome sight, shielding his eyes from the gory spectacle, while Shaad merely looked around out of disinterest and to piece together what he could. It wasn't that he didn't care, but he'd been through far too much to react to a non-fatal injury with much excitement. More importantly, however, he knew better than anyone his strengths and what he could do; such as with events passed, there was nothing he could do at this point, so he wouldn't stress over things he couldn't control, change, or help. One thing about the whole thing did bug him, though.

"What exactly happened," Shaad questioned as Bo stood with Ray's help and a grimace. "I find it hard to believe he could cause all this."

Everyone else agreed as they looked from the overweight doctor lying face flat on the floor with a knife sticking from the base of his skull to the widespread destruction all around them.

Bo struggled to lift his head, more tired than anything as his body had already done its job, flooding his brain with endorphins to numb everything below the thigh of his right leg. He recounted the events slowly, his voice strained while Ray adjusted to try and ease the pressure on the captain's injured body.

 **[Minutes Earlier]**

With his body tired and leg simultaneously crushed and bones shattered from the knee down, Bo was in a desperate situation. Having lost all his arrows save one as he dangled from a broken leg bent beyond all normal limits, the pirate captain aimed his final arrow - a special concoction made in joint effort with the enigmatic Mage - and fought to pull back the bowstring. Body screaming out in agony as pain flared from his fingertips, Bo just managed to fully nock the arrow as the monstrous Dr. Stein Mechoni charged at him like an enraged bull.

This would be his last chance. The thin line between life and death. But, with another jolt of pain shaking him to his core, Bo's shot misfired, skimming along, and burning, the doctor's arm before burrowing into the reinforced floor and out of sight. But, instead of Bo's sure death, having his upper body crushed by the immense weight of Stein's rapidly approaching, drug enhanced physique, a lucky turn of events occurred: Stein reached the time limit for his chemical cocktail and his body immediately shrunk back to its normal measurements.

Bo had no time to relax, though, even as Stein's normal form plowed into the solid wall with a full head of steam. Pulling himself from the damaged foundation, the mad scientist seethed with an even deeper anger (if that were possible) and balled his mechanical hand into a fist. Clinching that fist ever tighter, a blade a foot long and as wide as the back of his hand emerged from a slot that rose above the knuckles of the metal appendage.

Stein aimed to skewer Bo's skull and take the first step towards ending this whole intrusion ordeal with the pirate's head as a trophy and a warning. However, only a few short inches from its target, the blade stopped. It froze in the air for a few seconds before dropping unresponsively to its owner's side and ultimately following Dr. Mechoni in crashing lifelessly to the ground, the victim of an unseen knife being thrown from the once blocked off passage from his office and piercing through his spine from behind at the base of the neck.

Ray and Mage had to work together to free their captain, but given the extent of his injuries that was by far the easy part.

 **[Present Time]**

"That answers one question," Alexander stated. "But, what about how we get out of here? This was supposed to be the control center, but it's just a big lab without one major computer."

"If I'm right," Shaad mused, strolling to the side of the room while drawing both swords, "that's right here."

He then struck both blades into an almost unnoticeable crease in the wall, cut down the line with one blade going up while the other sliced down, and pried open a previously unseen corridor.

But, instead of a computer, there were bars, the bars of a cell. However, Shaad ignored the three emaciated, barely alive bodies within as he released a sigh of frustration at his failure.

"Dammit, I was sure that was the one," Shaad complained, seemingly more upset at missing out on his 'cool' moment than not finding the computer.

In his frustration, Shaad threw his black bladed sword, the sharp edge whistling past the nape of Alexander's neck before piercing an electronic panel in the wall. As severed currents buzzed, another pair of metal doors slowly slid open, this time revealing a large wall terminal with screens, keyboards, switches, and buttons that most of them couldn't make heads or tails of. Shaad stormed past the surprised crew, a deep scowl on his face, muttering curses about not realizing there was a panel while damage to the tracks stopped the doors halfway. Prying his sword from the circuit board and returning it to the sheath on his back along with the silver bladed one, Shaad nearly ripped the two doors from the wall as he opened them completely to allow full view of the giant supercomputer.

Turning around, he spotted the crew's expressions and tiredly answered the unasked question as if it were obvious.

"Those two stretches of wall were far less damaged than the rest of the room's perimeter. You guys seriously didn't notice that?" Though, what he failed to mention was that he could actually hear the strange way air circulated at those two points as well, as if it were entering and exiting some unseen area.

The crew ignored Shaad's obvious implication and instead split themselves between the three prisoners and the control panel for presumably the entire laboratory complex. While Mage and Alexander joined Shaad in front of the giant wall terminal, Ray helped Bo over to the occupied cell where Kei already stood. On both sides, the crewmembers scanned among themselves before turning to the newly revealed presences, clearly trying to figure what their next step should be.

Bo separated himself from Ray, commanding the chef to stand back while he hobbled forward on one good leg. Each time he put weight on the decimated right leg, pain shot through Bo, but he gritted his teeth through it all and held his head high, refusing to look weak or vulnerable for what came next.

Gauging the three prisoners from left to right, Bo demanded, "Who are you and why did Stein lock you up instead of killing you," with all the authority he could muster. Unfortunately, it didn't have the desired effect. Far from it in fact as the slender young woman in the middle let a barely hidden chuckle bubble past her lips, growing in intensity before Bo called, "Shaad."

The woman, dressed in a tattered marine uniform and red bottomed heels, immediately stopped laughing. All humor she found in the situation vanished as she was overcome by shock. But, Shaad didn't share her rapt attention at Bo's command.

"I'm busy," came the gruff reply, his point punctuated by his black blade again whizzing through the air, this time piercing the back wall of the prisoners' cell.

The threat the blade carried was received by all parties. It was his way of helping Bo gain control, but it was all the help the upstart captain would be given in doing so. Meanwhile, the woman and the prisoner to her right - a frail looking, elderly man with a long white beard wearing a lab coat over loose fitting clothes - stared tentatively at the ominously black blade. Bo, for his part, smirked at the stunned prisoners, acting as if the whole thing were his plan all along.

The elderly man broke first, stammering out his explanation to Bo's earlier inquiry. "I'm a scientist. . . I design and develop technology."

"So, you're Stein's partner?"

"N-No. . . Yes. . . I mean I was. But, I disagreed with his goal and methods. I just want my work to help people; Stein, though, demanded machinations of evil."

"Stein's prosthetic; was that your doing?"

"Yes," the inventor confessed, his voice soft and unsure though a hint of pride peaked from behind the curtain of shame.

"Yes, I'm a genius," Shaad celebrated.

The outburst raised an eyebrow from Bo, but despite their proximity and connection to one another, the two sides largely focused on their own endeavors. Kei, however, spared a glance at Shaad, a crinkled and unnerved expression evident in his single visible brow while Alexander and Mage also looked on the distracted pirate, hunched over the massive keyboard hands flying, with similar feelings.

"And, you,"

Bo questioned, refocusing his attention on the cell in front of him. The young woman slyly hid the smirk that graced her gentle features as Bo's eyes again landed on her. And, in true theater style, it was replaced by a shaky confidence. "What's it matter? You're going to kill us anyway."

"I actually haven't decided yet. Now, answer the question."

"I was a member of one of the first Marine units sent in to capture and secure Dr. Mechoni. We weren't prepared for what awaited us, and ended up getting captured ourselves. He experimented on the others, but was keeping me alive until he could figure out a way to harvest my Devil Fruit."

"And, now?"

"Huh?"

"Do you still intend to complete that mission?"

"Be kinda hard to secure a dead man," she retorted.

Both her and Bo spared a moment to look at Stein's limp body, mouth agape and lying in a pool of his own blood while one of Mage's knives still stuck from the back of his neck, before turning back to one another. Bo ignored the sass and snark of the woman's reply to instead focus on the cell's final occupant. It appeared to be a man, but any more was hard to decipher because the person was wrapped head to toe in dingy, ragged bandages, only the deathly glow from a pair of impossibly red eyes emanated out of the isolated abyss that the figure exuded.

Bo stared down those deep, impenetrable orbs of intimidation and morbid promises without flinching. He demanded answers, but received none.

"I don't think you understand your situation," Bo declared sternly. "You're trapped in that cage, and I'm now in control of this facility. Your fate lies in my hands, that means you'll do as I say or-"

"Emergency Evacuation Procedure FVI6 activated. Self-Destruct in 10 minutes."

The cold, mechanical voice drew shocked stares from each of the lab's occupants. Some muttered curses or exclamations of fear, but all eyes easily found their way to Shaad and the countdown occurring on the large screen in front of him. Mage and Alexander immediately yanked him away from the console, but neither dared risk making the situation worse by acting in an arena where they held no expertise. Meanwhile, Bo looked like he wanted nothing more than to rush across the room and strangle the thoughtless freeloader.

But, Shaad remained perfectly calm, even offering what, for him, amounted to an apology. "My bad."

The two words did little to quell the growing animosity in the room, but even if they could manage to overpower the unassuming powerhouse, their situation wouldn't change. It didn't take long to figure out the best option by far was to run, escaping the massive complex as fast as possible. However, Shaad had an alternative.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of this," he attempted to placate the others, though his words were far from reassuring.

To make matters worse, a voice none expected called out offering assistance. "Ooh, I can help." All of Bo's crew recognized the excited voice as that of their resident jabbering idiot. And, wherever that motor mouth went, you could be assured he brought his more level headed muscle.

"Kaleb, Kayden, what are you doing here?"

Kayden acknowledged the question with a tired nod of his head towards his little brother while hunched over trying to catch his breath, but Kaleb seemed to ignore him altogether.

"Whoa! First, a dragon man at the door, and now a talking computer. Is this place gonna blow up? Cool; I wanna watch. It's not right to keep people locked up. Awesome!" Stars shone in the teenage boy's eyes as he knelt next to Stein's dead body, so enamored by the metal arm and the hidden compartments he found that he completely disregarded the dead body it was attached to as well as everything else that had briefly caught his attention in the whirlwind of stimuli. "Can I get one," he asked his brother with wide eyes.

"How 'bout you help me out first," Shaad offered.

"I could do it by myself, but I'll let you help," Kaleb proudly boasted, standing tall and striding over to the console where Shaad again stood.

"Everyone, out! Now," Bo commanded. No one initially complied, though.

"I'm not going anywhere without my brother," Kayden protested.

"Relax; I got him," Shaad assured him, never looking away from the expansive keyboard as he played dozens of solution scenarios in his head.

"Ignore them," Bo told the prisoners while others bickered behind him. "It's time you all make a decision: join me or stay here."

The elderly scientist immediately begged to join Bo, tears borne from his fear literally streaming down his wrinkled face. Bo, then turned to the woman in the middle. She met his intense stare for an extended period as seconds ticked away on the screen, but eventually she gave in and dropped her gaze.

"The Marines already abandoned me; may as well be a pirate."

As Bo turned to the cell's final occupant, the entire facility shook violently. All eyes turned to Shaad, but he was also looking around. "Don't look at me. . . But, I do think I've figured this thing out."

Kaleb coughed.

"We figured it out," Shaad reluctantly corrected. "Care to do the honors?"

Kaleb nodded and pressed the button to lock in Shaad's most recent command input. The room was silent. The countdown on the screen blinked out of view, and a collective sigh was released.

"Override Command accepted. Self-Destruct in 30 seconds."


	26. Chapter 25: Like a Phoenix

**Like A Phoenix**

"Override Command accepted. Self-Destruct in 30 seconds."

"29..."

"28..."

The lab was silent save for the emotionless, computer countdown. The glares leveled at Shaad were such that a normal man would wish for a shorter clock if only to escape the situation faster. But, Shaad felt differently.

"He did it," the impetuous pirate quickly declared, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the young teenager to his left.

The heat of the gazes soldering him grew tenfold if that were possible, no hint of amusement at Shaad's latest assertion.

"25..."

"24..."

"23..."

Bo hobbled over to stand chest to chest with the only slightly older pirate, locking the back of the taller male's neck in a vice grip and pulling Shaad down so that their eyes were level. His voice low and threatening, Bo spoke clearly in Shaad's ear, each word precise with meaning unmistakable.

"You better have a way for us to get out of here."

The threat was clear, but Shaad remained unmoved. He felt ire at being treated like some guilty child but withheld showing it, mirroring Bo's grip on his neck and matching the rookie captain's tone.

"I'm going to remind you that I'm not one of your little crew members. . . And, no. I don't have a way for all of us to get out of here." Shaad was quiet for a second, an ambiguous smirk crossing his lips as he separated from Bo and raised his voice so all could hear. "So, I suggest you all find a nice sturdy place to shelter. . . This next part is going to hurt."

"18..."

"17..."

"16..."

"15..."

The continued countdown faded into the background as the room's occupants rushed around looking for a suitable place to bunker down. Shaad, though, remained still. He had closed his eyes, but they snapped open as he focused on the once hidden cell.

"I think I just found the perfect place," he muttered, showing off a toothy smirk as he strode to the location in question.

But, wrapping his hand around a single bar, he immediately retracted the appendage as he felt his strength drain away.

"Ray, grab my sword. The rest of you gather by the cell." Shaad's commands were prompt and uncompromising. He wasn't playing around, and the others felt the urgency in his words. Inside the cell would be ideal, but Shaad knew that they weren't getting it open easily. Once they'd all gathered in the cramped space available, Shaad forced the sliding metal doors closed behind them and stood alone in the open lab.

'I hope this works.'

"5..."

"4..."

"3..."

"2..."

"1..."

'And, that all she wrote. . . M.A.D!'

A blinding flash erupted from the computer console first. The terminal ignited in a ball of yellow flame, the raging fire shifting in color as it billowed outwards, filling the control room and escaping through the office into the hallways ravaged by the blast wave. It was as though a fist of orange flame had decided to punch its way out of the main complex. Pillars of fiery smoke and dust boiled up from where the bomb had gone off. In unison, the same thing occurred at places all over the secret facility. Windows shattered. Smoke and fire rushed out. Thousands of pieces of glass and steel showered down in a deadly rainfall.

The danger was threefold and rapidly mounting. The fires licked at whatever they could catch. The black smoke suffocated breath and sight. While the heat was quickly becoming unbearable. On top of all that, the building's occupants had to contend with the building collapsing in on itself. Steel toppled and concrete imploded. Explosions rang and fires spread.

Meanwhile, at its center, Shaad stood. With gritting teeth and bulging veins, he fought to keep the widespread destruction at bay of the small area he'd marked out, sweat evaporating as fast as it poured as he strained himself to the limit and expended every bit of energy he could spare. As the destruction continued to mount, though, stamina (or lack thereof) soon got the better of Shaad. Unused to producing such a massive energy expulsion for more than a split second, Shaad fell to a knee, his stamina expiring as did his energy while explosions continued to ring out around him.

In the end, with one final, gut-wrenching creak and a nearly seismic shift, the complex completely imploded, caving in on itself and crushing the helpless souls within. Where once stood a magnificently audacious home of research and discovery hidden behind the voluminous artificial foliage like some sort of cursed gem, now only a smoldering pile of steel and concrete rubble demarcated it from the surrounding lands, not a hint of its former grandeur remaining.

Smoke rose from the ruins, the result of a scorched earth style of defense meant to ensure secrets stayed secrets. Black pillars of gas darkened already inky skies as the flickering flames of resultant pyres threatened to spark the towering flora all around and sink the entire island down outside the annals of history, its secrets lost alongside its stories for all time.

In the lifeless zone that was the building wreckage, a pitter-patter knocking broke the dystopian silence. Growing into a thunderous banging, the origin made itself easily discernible. Clearer, though, was the thick metal door sent flying a few feet into the air as the sound suddenly ceased. Rising from the shambles, a chiseled arm the size of a tree trunk reached for daylight. But, in the perpetual night that was this underwater basin, it settled for firm purchase with which to lift itself from the hole, a lone being escaping the vociferous mouth of Hell.

Birthed from havoc, Kayden stood victorious and unopposed. From the open quarry, Kaleb, Kei, Mage, Alexander, and Ray (assisting Bo) soon followed, joining the stone behemoth on top of the mountainous debris. A noise reminiscent of muffled yelling drew all of their attentions, and as they neared the source, they instantly recognized the voice.

"Thanks; that was startin' to get heavy," Shaad breathed out once Kayden lifted up the heavy metal slab weighing down on him. He then grimaced as the big man took hold of an arm and essentially yanked him to his feet. "Aah, yep that's goin to sting for a while," Shaad muttered to himself as he tore off his shredded shirt and wiped some debris of his pants before picking up his fedora from the ground and placing it on his head.

"Shouldn't you have been able to push that off yourself," Alexander questioned in a brash manner.

"Am I not allowed to feel a bit weak after saving all of your lives," Shaad answered with a facetious smirk.

"My brother's the one that saved us," Kaleb boastfully disputed. "He even has the scars to show for it."

Shaad fixed his mouth to challenge the vigorous assertion, but upon seeing the searing burn marks plastering Kayden's wide back as the shipwright also reprimanded the bombastic youth, he bit his tongue and rescinded any combative commentary. Peaceably, he offered up a truce of sorts, too tired for a prolonged argument no matter how enjoyable he'd find poking the fire of the boy's temper.

"I got a few scars myself. . . So, guess we did it together." Shaad flashed a partly braggadocios smirk to the gentle giant as they bumped fist, the first and second degree burns peppering his own skin visible alongside the stomach churning injury that Kayden seemed to simply shrug off.

"How. . . When. . . What did you do," Kei struggled to voice his confusion. Shaad's hidden strength and current state seemed at odds. His injuries. His move earlier. They each added to the puzzling query. Now, standing, smiling, next to the severely wounded Kayden, the often silent Kei voiced his befuddlement.

"Mutually Assured Destruction. Usually an attack, it's a desperate maneuver of mine," Shaad began. "By forcefully expelling every ounce of extraneous energy, it's essentially a warhead with me as its core. The effect this time was reduced because not only was my energy not near full to begin with (which isn't unusual for that attack), but I staggered the effect. That, in turn, lessened the damage done to myself but also increased the strain on my body. In short, though, it was a simple physics-based tactic: meet each incoming blast wave with an equal and opposite force to cancel it out." Shaad looked around him at the chaotic scene, the faces of the crew, and finally Kayden's scarred back. "I wasn't able to stop the building's collapse or even lessen the blasts' effects by as much as I'd hoped." 'It's obvious I still need to get stronger. Much.'

"And, now?"

The question tore Shaad from his self-reprisal and he relaxed his hands before answering, his serious tone softened to its usual sportive quality. "Now, I'm probably weaker than some of ya'll."

"Then I have no use for you," Bo jested, speaking up for the first time since the lab's chaotic downfall.

"Speaking of weak, what about those guys in the cell," Kaleb reminded. Mental self-admonishment befell much of the crew as they made their way over to the hole they'd risen from to recover its remaining occupants.

"Unconscious, scowling, and. . . I don't know your deal," Shaad ticked off the prisoners' states one by one. "You know, ya could've just said something. . . Mage, can you open this lock?"

Mage examined the cell's door. The bars were seastone. The locks were electronic. Picking the lock wasn't an option. Neither was brute force. However a light bulb went off in Mage's mind as he peaked a control panel. No doubt it had a mobile battery source that explained why the door hadn't already opened. Pulling a filled vial from a pocket on his vest, Mage alighted on the control panel, treating the seastone bars like a third rail as he let a few drops of the acrid poison sizzle through the metal, removing the circuit board so he had unfettered access to the wiring beneath.

"Electronics have never been my forte, but this. . . should. . . do it."

Alexander and Kayden helped the old man and the woman out while the stranger wrapped in full body bandages helped himself. Through all of this, though, it seemed like they were still forgetting something. And, Ray voiced what that 'something' was.

"What about Leon?"

"What about me?"

All eyes immediately turned to the voice, jaws dropping as they watched a severely bloodied Leon rise above the smoking carnage, a small figure cradled in his arms as he limped to a solid base. He looked two breaths from his last, but Bo and Ray had both seen him in a similar state before. The more pressing issue was -

"What happened down there? Why is she with you?"

The others didn't understand the reason for the venom in Bo's voice, but Leon didn't bat an eyelash.

"Because," he began with a goading grin.

 **[Minutes Earlier]**

"I ain't neva been one for meanin's." Leon's voice was low as he hobbled forward from the wall.

He spoke as much to the human weapon standing before him as he did the air around them while L.U.C.Y. stood waiting. Waiting for the nanites to finish repairing the tissue and muscle damage, and waiting for an opening. Though Leon looked to be at his weakest by far, for the first time, he strangely showed no openings even to the biometric eyes of the little cyborg girl as he continued his slow approach, absent-mindedly telling a tale with each step.

"My ma tol' me my name means 'lion'. The king of the jungle. The strongest."

He was standing toe to toe with the smaller girl, but neither made any move or attack. Leon's killer intent flared in that moment, a dense, focused aura that claimed the area like a giant lion roaring above him. For a split second, L.U.C.Y.'s base instincts took over, and she jumped back, creating brief separation. But, only to get momentum for her next strike as she lashed out with a blade like swipe of her 'clawed' right hand. Leon blocked the lightning fast strike with the scabbard in his left hand. L.U.C.Y. then went low with a similar strike from her left. Leon met that attack with the blade of Akuma-õ no Kiba itself, swinging out with both the sword and sheath and pushing the powerful little girl back. Through the entire exchange he remained calm, his expression unchanging. Like his massive killer intent laying heavy on the battlefield, both Leon's anger and fiery passion were contained and controlled, focused wholly on a single target.

Drawing the overflowing killer intent more tightly around him, Leon slid Akuma-õ no Kiba's blade into its sheath.

"Da lion, though, actually don't like to fight. It first roars as a warnin'."

In a flash, Leon had drawn his sword's long blade, an invisible slash of air cutting into L.U.C.Y.'s face. Unreactive to the swift attack aside from having her head snapped back, L.U.C.Y. leveled a haunting gaze at Leon while the swordsman threw aside the scabbard. Both fighters shot daggers at one another through their glares. For the first time, Leon brought his left hand to bare around the grip of Akuma-õ no Kiba alongside his right, raising the sword above him with both hands tightly holding on while L.U.C.Y. dropped to all fours. Digging her fingers into the ground she rared back like a wild cat ready to pounce.

"Dat was my roar. Come; feel my fangs."

Pushing forward, it was as if L.U.C.Y. had been shot from a cannon. Eating away at the space separating them with each powerful stride, she blasted forward with a speed greater than any she'd used before.

"Beast King's Rampage."

Stepping forward, Leon swung down, the power on a whole new level from any attack he'd previously used. L.U.C.Y. met the downward slash with an upwards strike of her own, raw power colliding at the point of impact. The jaws of their battle snapped closed in an instant while the building around them violently shook with shockwave after shockwave.

In the violent aftermath, Leon stood on the precipice of death, blood pouring from his body like rain in a storm. Shakily, L.U.C.Y. rose to her knees, defiantly taunting Leon's best effort. Many times, Leon had been called a beast. A savage. But, L.U.C.Y. was a monster in the truest sense of the word as she lifted her destroyed body, flayed flesh hanging loosely from the girl's carbon steel skeleton. Watching the girl's flesh, muscles, and organs methodically stitch themselves back together, Leon, for the first time in a long time, felt trepidation. As she fought to stand, he was put on the receiving end of an all too familiar emotion for many who had crossed blades with him: an intense, overwhelming fear. Leon wouldn't give up, but he could go no further.

In that moment, a loud creaking sound reverberated throughout the empty space, a lone beam fragment splintering from the ceiling preceding the collapse of the entire structure. The frayed end of the thick, heavy beam struck L.U.C.Y. in the middle of her back and pinned her small frame to the ground before both fighters were buried under a mountain of smoldering debris, saved only by the half teepee of the toppled beam protecting them from having a large mass of the wreckage plummet directly onto them.

 **[Present Time]**

"I told you I'd pick the next crewmember." Leon was panting heavily. The point of overexertion long passed. "She. . . stays."


	27. Chapter 26: Retrieval

**Retrieval:**

 **Recovery Begins**

"They're back! Medical units on standby," Rose commanded as the scout party comprised of White Knights led by Johannes returned with the rest of their crew either in tow or on stretchers broke from the tree line and crossed the open beach. As the group made it to the ship, Rose got a glimpse of most of their injuries. "Help them on board! Take Leon, Bo, and the girl to Med Bay A! Lead Shaad, Kayden, and Ray to Med Bay B! Unit 5, you'll handle checkups of the others here on deck! Unit 3, prep the surgery bay!"

The crew moved quickly in complying. The other medical units had already gone ahead. Leon was unconscious as they carried him on board as was the little girl that none of them recognized. Bo was helped up the ramp, blood having already soaked through the makeshift splint and caked around the open wound.

The captain had lost a lot of blood, but was still conscious. Though he could hardly move on his own, a small smile spread one side of his lips. Listening to Rose bark orders made him proud. She'd always had the talent, but to suddenly be thrust into the role of Head Physician with less than a decade of experience. He always knew she had it in her, but thought it might take a while longer for her to find the confidence in herself.

The entire deck was a mess of organized chaos as everyone moved about, either trying to do as they were told, be of use, or simply get out of the way. Bo caught it from the corner of his eye as the three former prisoners were escorted onto the ship, a two man guard each.

"Have the prisoners follow me; they are not to leave my sight," Bo weakly commanded of those close enough to hear.

But, Rose was one of those who heard. "No, I will not have those three contaminating the most sterile room we have. You three already need to be disinfected and cleaned before we can even begin working on your injuries."

"I'm the captain, and I say they come with me."

Bo was in no mood to let three new people he didn't know or trust come on board his ship and roam anywhere out of his sight. But, to her credit, Rose didn't back down. She met her captain's intense gaze without faltering. Feeling a strong hand squeeze his shoulder, though, Bo's expression eased if only slightly.

"Fine, bring them along, but have them wait outside. I want to talk to them as soon as Rose says it's okay."

Ray flashed a smirk at the young doctor before heading to Med Bay B himself. Rose was still quite inexperienced and she'd have to adjust to being thrust into the role of head doctor (especially with the myriad of powerful personalities on the ship), but Ray would be there to make sure the transition stayed as smooth as possible when some of his more rambunctious mates might rough it up. Leon and L.U.C.Y. were carried downstairs without a fuss and Bo, being assisted by Mage, followed shortly after. So did Ray, Kayden, and even Shaad as they all went to the instructed medical bay. Alexander walked onto the ship without need of any assistance, but that didn't stop his personal assistant, Mino, from making a minor fuss over him, making sure he was unhurt and pulling over two doctors to immediately patch him up. Mage would be back on deck after helping Bo get situated, and Kei made it through the whole ordeal of the mysterious island largely unscathed.

Meanwhile, Johannes took the lead on dividing up the White Knights for security details. The lab had been destroyed, and Bo and company were sure no threats remained, but one could never be too careful in unknown territory. Plus, there was the matter of who would watch the three prisoners they'd brought along. Not to mention the creature Shaad insisted on dragging back with them. It was unconscious but they'd throw it in a cell downstairs with a security detail just in case.

At the same time, Kray took the lead in making sure the ship was ready to sail at a moment's notice. If they'd learned anything about Bo in their short time on the crew, it was that he rarely liked sitting around in one place too long. He'd most likely want to get going as soon as he was able to give the order. That and the remaining men needed something to do. Kray was a strong believer in not just sitting around with a thumb up your ass. If you could move, you could work, and there was plenty work to be done while they waited including having the assistant chefs cook up whatever they could.

Organizing all of that would usually fall on Alexander, but he still felt some dizziness from the entire lab coming down around them. Even if he hadn't, though, Mino wasn't likely to let the young master go easily when he came back in such a disparate state compared to his usual regal poise. And, those two Divine Knights took up the respective roles too quickly for any of that to matter anyway. In certain ways, this ship, and its crew, was already a well-oiled machine. However, it took exceptional leadership to make sure it stayed that way long enough to operate at its full potential.

* * *

Down in Med Bay B, the second of three separated medical rooms not including the surgery bay, Ray's, Shaad's, and Kayden's wounds didn't require much in the way of patching up. They were all still standing and had relatively full movement capabilities though each ones injuries would've been debilitating to a lesser man.

Ray required stitches and had a few sprained joints and fractured bones, but, amazingly, nothing was broken. Although, the doctors attending him did wonder how he could even walk on his left foot which had been twisted almost 90 degrees and had two disfigured toes.

In addition to the obvious first and second degree burns peppering his skin in splotches, Shaad had pulled several muscles. But, he shrugged it off as normal wear and tear, only accepting the cream they provided to soothe the stinging sensation of the numerous burns.

Kayden was technically in the worst condition as almost his entire back had been scorched in one large second degree burn. While Shaad had done an admirable job of protecting the crew from the many blasts' lethal concussive force and shrapnel, there was nothing he could do about the massive heat produced. And, as the special composite metal door compressed onto Kayden and the others, it seared into his back. Were it not for his Devil Fruit's natural effect on the strength, toughness, and durability of his skin and muscles, simply prying away the metal would've left him with nothing more than bloody tissues and exposed bones. As it stood, he was still stuck with a permanent scar splashed across his back (though, according to one doctor, minimal healing might be possible as the whole thing healed) as well as flecks of the special composite that remained embedded within his muscled back. The doctors would've tried to remove it, but the same thick skin that made him capable of surviving such a thing also made that impossible; they possessed no way of cutting through his rock hard exterior.

Listening to the four personnel discuss all of the trio's various wounds with the single actually trained 'doctor' assigned to their particular unit, Shaad at one time joked, "You can use my sword if ya like. The front edge of the blade is seastone; it'll cut through him like butter."

The comment was a joke, and, enjoying the reaction it garnered, Shaad slid the sword away and strolled out of the room, slipping a few more tubes of that burn cream in his pockets. He really needed to master that dammed technique so he'd no longer need to worry about the annoying side effects. His fruit had enough drawbacks as it was.

* * *

"Stop, Bo! You can't be moving around like that!" Rose pleaded as the stubborn captain staggered out of bed and towards the door, his right leg essentially dead as he had to drag it along to get anywhere.

"I'm fine," he protested, reaching for the door handle and almost stumbling as he did so.

Bo and Leon were alike in that neither liked to be made to stay still and both were so stubborn they'd insist they were fine if their mouth was the only thing working. The only reason Leon hadn't left the room to go train already was because he was still unconscious and presumably would be for quite a while longer. With, lacerations to his face and upper body, pulled muscles in his arms and legs, a fractured left ulna, bruised occipital bone, cracks in his eyes' orbital wall, broken nose, dislocated jaw, a couple of splintered ribs, and a handful more fractured, his injuries read more like the entire patient directory of a decently sized hospital than that of a single fight's winner. And, that's to make no mention of the damage to his hands from repeatedly punching the nigh indestructible skeleton of L.U.C.Y. It was amazing, to say the least, that the doctors could unanimously and confidently declare he'd recover (knowing his personality kept Rose from stating he'd make a 'full' recovery). Rose and the other doctors agreed that Leon was surely a marvel; injuries rarely became this extensive unless you kept pushing yourself past the point that the human body would've normally given up. Still, though, with the collective tibia and fibula of his right leg having been snapped like a twig - before being forced back into the skin and crudely realigned - and his patella busted beyond recovery, Bo was only able to move against the pain because Rose had injected him with a powerful painkiller that lessened it from crippling to a dull ache. The unknown of course was L.U.C.Y. Bo had chosen not to disclose where she came from so the group of doctors were unaware of the risks involved with leaving the sleeping little girl unrestrained. She required a significant amount of blood to be pumped into her small frame, but the nanites in her system were already well on the way of clearing even the most minute wound inflicted on her flesh and muscle tissue. That alone told the five that this was no normal little girl, but it by itself gave only miniscule reason to be wary and none to be scared; they had no way of knowing that it was that very little girl who acted as the catalyst for Leon's current condition.

Outside, in the hallway, the three captives Bo's group had freed were lined up against the wall with two White Knights watching them. Bo dismissed the two men with the gentleness and tact of a porcupine, and they retreated down the hallway although reluctant to leave their injured captain alone with three unknowns.

"We need to get you to the surgery bay," Rose shouted upon swinging the door open just as Bo was about to speak. "If surgery is delayed too long, or if you further damage the ligaments, we may be forced to amputate.

Bo looked at the young girl some type of way, and she slunk back into the medical ward with a huff. They'd already explained his predicament. His knee cap would need to be completely replaced as it stood, and even if surgery did go well, regaining full mobility was likely out of the question. Bo, who relied almost entirely on his speed in a fight had now lost that very poignant, honed weapon. He was like a bull with no horns; the strength was still there (in this case his brain), but he now lacked the number one tool that gave it its killing edge.

Looking to the former captives, there was silence in the otherwise empty hallway.

* * *

"Aah, you're up, Alex," Shaad greeted with a smile, ignoring the groan and glare aimed at him for his unwanted shortening. "And, Mage is here, too. . . Plus, the ship is all ready to set sail. It's like you know why I am up here."

Much of the crew had already begun ignoring him, but when he announced that there was actually a purpose other than to alleviate some boredom before a nap, their ears immediately tuned in.

"Alex, I'ma need you to take command of this ship and lead us out of here. You can do that right? Good; Mage will tell you the way. I'm going to sleep. It's been a long - _How long have we been here?_ \- time."

Shaad was already halfway below deck, but the very vocal protests stopped him short. Shaad may have been the most powerful person on board by far, but Bo was the captain, and that young man had recently earned himself enough fear and respect from the large crew for them not to risk unduly or unknowingly going against orders. Surprisingly, Shaad smiled as they made that clear. The crew never really cared for him. That didn't bother him in the least; he always thought of himself as more of an acquired taste or choice luxury, anyway. Something like fugu. What interested him was that they'd so boldly oppose him. Few who knew him would willingly take such action.

"Fine," Shaad laughed, the tone of which was more ominous than entertained. "Do as you wish. But, do hurry and decide. Time isn't exactly on our side. Now, again, I'm going to sleep. I'd hate to be awake if you make the wrong choice."

Shaad then left the crew to decipher the meaning behind his ominous words. Alexander, Johannes, Kray, and a few other leaders were quick to gather around, watching as he recused himself with a smirk and a two finger wave over his shoulder before the door slammed shut behind him.

* * *

A few short minutes later, Bo nearly fell over as the large ship jerked alive and lurched forward, just managing to catch himself on the wall.

"What the f-"

"Uh-uh uh. Language; there are ladies present. And, little Miss Rose is still eavesdropping through the door." Rose scrambled back at being discovered, but neither Shaad nor Bo gave it further thought.

"Is this your doing," Bo growled.

"Relax," Shaad drawled, appearing shoulder to shoulder with the similarly built youth with only a pair of fleet-footed steps. A couple scores heavier and a few inches taller, Shaad talked to the rookie captain barely a year his junior as one might a little brother or protégé, his voice low so the exchange remained only between the two. "I'm only here to help. The crew topside are moving the ship on my. . . _suggestion_."

Bo gave Shaad a side eye glare. Everything about him annoyed the captain. Shaad was powerful but lazy, carrying himself with a hint of arrogance like it all came so naturally. He constantly stuck his nose where it was unwanted and made a game of undermining Bo's authority because he knew he could get away with it. Even supposedly weakened, he still managed to almost move faster than Bo's eyes could comprehend. With the frustration that spawned in someone as prideful and meticulous as Bo, the captain could only think of one word, though he spoke it with enough venom to kill were it possible.

"Why?"

"Why, indeed," Shaad smiled. "Why did Mage make you such a deadly arrow? Why didn't you kill Stein when you had the chance? Why did the lab blow up when I was sure the input code I used was correct? And, why haven't you told them that little girl is the one who put Leon in that bed?" Shaad paused, letting his questions sink in. Between him and Bo, they were all easily enough answered. That didn't matter; they were clearly rhetorical. "But, most importantly," Shaad continued after a while, "why would anyone let this place be reclaimed by the Marines or discovered by someone else?"

Bo dawned a questioning expression and Shaad smirked at that. Even with the main complex destroyed, it was still possible to gain clues and revive Stein's work. Plus, they hadn't even begun investigating the bit of space just past the lab. Who knew what secrets or monstrosities lay there? Of course it would be better for this place to be wiped from the face (or underside) of the Earth. But, they still had no clue as to its origin, how to go about sinking an underwater 'land' mass, or escaping. Attempting to leave now was a fool's errand.

Shaad watched for the minor details in Bo's facial contortions. Bo was, no doubt, highly skilled in controlling the nonverbal cues he gave away, hiding the more tell-tale signs and using others as misdirect, but Shaad had been reading people to get his way since before being trained to do so at the tender age of six. It was a survival technique. It was a manipulative plot. But, most of all, it was fun. Sure, Shaad found the most immediate satisfaction in toying with people who wore their emotions on a sleeve like Rose and Alexander and, to a lesser extent, Leon (who wasn't truly as simple as he let on), but there was a special pleasure in breaking down the arduously built facade of someone as reserved as Bo.

"I see you agree with me. That's good. I'd say we have about. . . eh, 12 minutes or so left. I certainly hope this ship is faster than it looks."


	28. Chapter 27: The Next Step

**The Next Step**

"Wait, you can't go in there! You shouldn't even be moving around!"

"Outta my way, doc" the octopus merman demanded as he stormed up a flight of stairs on the ship's deck, the wooden steps creaking under the weight of his thick, powerful tentacles. All the while, the hapless doctor kept both arms clung tightly around the merman's solid waist, being dragged along while pleading for the man to stop.

Stopping at the door to the cabin at the top off the stairway, the fishman raised his fist to bang on it while the doctor again begged him not to proceed.

"Commodore Lech, please don't. The Vice Admiral is very busy."

The menacing merman, Lech, lowered his fist and lifted the doctor up by the jacket. Before he could toss him to the bottom of the staircase, a booming voice froze them both in place.

"Stop, the both of you!" Lech set the smaller doctor down and the two immediately straightened up, standing erect one step from saluting the still closed door. "Now, come in," the voice commanded after a few seconds. "Leave us, Jeremiah."

Jeremiah Wyatt was a studious looking man, but the glasses seemed to hide something deeper as he spared a momentary glare at the powerful merman to his left. Bowing to his superior sitting behind the desk, Jeremiah then spun on his heel and marched out of the room, stabbing a long needle into one of Lech's tentacles as he did so. Caught off guard by the sudden puncture, Lech soon felt a soothing calm replace the phantom pain that had been emanating from two amputated tentacles.

The Vice Admiral, Hammer, flashed a rare smirk behind his clutched hands at his subordinates' interaction. Lech knew better than to react in the man's presence, and anyway, Jeremiah was long gone in the split second it took to notice the violation. Replacing his quill pen in its ink stand, Hammer looked the merman squarely in the eyes.

Left alone in the room, Hammer and Lech were silent for a few seconds. Lech's light brown skin made for quite the contrast against the burnt orange, reddish hue of his tentacles as he stood at attention in front of his commanding officer, Vice Admiral Frank Hammer. The merman's eyes briefly scanned the office; he didn't often find himself with a reason to enter the renowned marine's office. It was quite orderly and somewhat plain, the walls covered in memorabilia, plaques, and awards from the living legend's many campaigns. But, what stood out most was a skull displayed in a glass case on the Vice Admiral's desk. The white mask was missing the left horn and its base had been carved to look like sharp teeth. Few knew the exact story behind that particular prize or the jagged crack running the length of the skull, but it was Hammer's most prized possession and he followed Lech's eyes to it before returning to more pressing matters.

"You should be resting. You know better than to go against Jeremiah. That shot he gave you just shows that your well-being is his number one concern."

"Yes. Apologies, sir, but it's urgent I relay my report as soon as possible."

"Understood, but be quick about it. That must have been some poison to keep you down this long and we still can't be sure it's completely gone from your system."

Lech nodded and relaxed his posture slightly. "As you commanded, I trailed the targets' ship on their way to the stronghold. Everything went smoothly, and I received the signal at the designated times each day."

Hammer's face scrunched up at that last sentence. The Vice Admiral hadn't had much personal dealings with Shaad, though the youth came off as a smug brat the few times they had interacted. Nonetheless, he was a pirate and Hammer didn't trust pirates so far as he could get away with throwing a World Noble. Thus, to hear that there were no problems inherently sounded off. But, the Marine officer remained silent as Lech continued.

"I lost track of the ship when they sailed directly into a huge storm; it took a few days to catch up and find them. However, things were again normal until arriving at the destination."

"And through all of this, you didn't think anything was off?"

"Sir, I thought it strange that they'd go directly into a storm that should've been avoidable, but their navigator and helmsman must be quite skilled as they made it through and arrived at Wunderbas almost a week early. So, I pushed the thoughts aside since, again, the 'all clear' remained consistent."

Things were beginning to line up for Hammer. He was sure something went down on that ship. Lech, despite the exceptional vision in water and at night granted by his fishman genealogy, had no way of seeing the deck of a massive battleship from his position in the water. And, while Hammer knew little of the upstart Shaad or the ship thieves from Todai, he'd crossed paths with the pirate's parents, and elaborate plans and subterfuge were definitely to be expected.

That firm belief was only reinforced by recent events. Unfortunately, there was still no solid evidence that Shaad had conspired directly against the Marines and broken their pact. Listening intently as Lech continued, he hoped against his expectations to get that critical piece or this whole saga could get drastically more complicated. However, as Lech told of the events surrounding the outlaws' arrival at the Marine stronghold, he realized with unquestioned certainty that Shaad had invariably covered his tracks well.

"Sounds like the little girl you rescued was in on it," Hammer mused. "If she really was a former marine, though, it was presumably the government's little science experiment. I told them, she wasn't fit for the field."

"Nonetheless, sir, if you're correct, the higher ups will want her back alive." The Vice Admiral nodded his head in somber agreement. Although a follower of Moral Justice, he believed that pirates, no matter their backgrounds, status, or circumstances, should be imprisoned. "It was a mermaid that ultimately attacked me, though. But, I don't remember a mermaid being in Rashaad's crew."

"That's because there wasn't one. And, the island Bo and his rabble came from was known as a pirate haven; not the kind of place you'd find a mermaid, either."

"Then where did she come from? You don't just meet a mermaid and get them to join a pirate crew."

"That's why the most likely scenario is that she's connected to the prince. His family is known to have ties to the few human trafficking networks still operating in this day and age. She's probably been in their employ since birth, and if she's the 'favored servant' reports indicated, and she's fighting with the pirates, then he's probably not a prisoner as was claimed."

"You're saying he joined the pirates voluntarily, sir? That's a heavy accusation against a noble. Are you sure?"

"This isn't a normal situation, Lech. There have already been rumors that the prince could have been brainwashed."

"But, that's not the case, is it, sir?"

"No; this Bo character must have thought ahead about this. There's nothing we can do except go after them on our own. As much as I hate it, if Prince Alexander is captured alive, he'll likely be forgiven of all crimes and returned home."

"So, already two members of their crew wanted alive," Lech surmised in a low voice. "And, if the higher ups catch wind of the mermaid's little ability -"

"Vice Admiral!" A panicked yell from outside the cabin door interrupted their conversation. Without missing a beat, Hammer shot to his feet and, instantly fully alert, Lech spun around, trailing the Vice Admiral as they marched out onto the deck.

"We'll finish this conversation later," Hammer stated, his eyes already taking in the scene around him. For someone as experienced as he, there was no need to ask what was going on. But, that didn't stop the marine who called for him from falling in step behind him and explaining the situation.

Around them, all of the major players aboard the ship - including Jeremiah and Hammer's fellow Vice Admiral, Logan Marx - had been alerted as well and converged on the ship's bow like locusts on crops. Ever since losing his prey to the conspicuous whirlpool lying in the middle of the ocean, the hunter that was Hammer had ordered his ship anchored in place. Like most marines his rank and above, he knew more about this unmapped calamity than any unwary citizen or rank and file soldier.

The officers stood stern-faced along the ship's bow, ahead of the clumped together rank-and-file. All eyes, though, focused on the commotion in front of them. Overhead, the skies were blue and speckled with marshmallow clouds - the signs of a beautiful day - while below, the anomalous whirlpool was beginning to act out of the ordinary.

The circling waters were rife with activity. The predictable pattern became incongruous as the currents increased in speed and intensity while at the same time cutting and surging in erratic fashion. The ripple effect of the strange occurrence set Hammer's ship bobbing about in the waters. Men fell back to keep the ship stable while the rest watched in awe as the tumultuous waters became eerily still for only a moment only to bubble up like an anxious geyser.

When that too stilled, Hammer - a deep inset frown affixed on his features - ordered his men to brace. The contrite edict brought about some confusion but unanimous compliance nonetheless. Even Marx and the officers fell back to find a place of greater stability. Only Hammer and Lech remained still. Lech standing pact with arms crossed, pressing his tentacles' many suckers against the ship's deck while Hammer himself took a step forward, gripping the forward rail with both hands. His lips pursed and brow crinkled, the Vice Admiral anxiously leaned over the edge of the ship. Waiting. As if only he knew what to expect (and, in reality, he may have been the only one who did).

None on board the marine ship had any clue what was occurring below the sea, but time for any straying thoughts quickly evaporated as a sudden shift in wind and currents pulled them towards the whirlpool's center like a vacuum. A handful of soldiers rushed to fight the overpowering force, but a quick command of 'Hold stations' from their commander halted the moving feet.

In the next instant, the sudden, fierce pull gave way to an explosive, upward and outward push. The tower of water erupted from the earth with force equal to a 1000 cannons, pulling from all around to increase its destructive potential. Amidst the heavy droplets pouring down in its wake, Hammer stood firmly, much of his crew scrambling to adjust themselves on the rocking ship behind him.

"Full sails ahead," Hammer barked. "Set a course for Sihar!"

《《《 ••• 》》》

"Are. . .Are we alive?"

"My life. . . It just flashed before my eyes."

"Wha. . . What the fuck just happened!?"

"Hihihihi hihihihi."

Given the situation, nervous laughter was the best some could manage. Bo and company had managed to escape Stein's underwater lair a few short moments ago, just seconds before it completely imploded, but the event threatened to stay alive in the crew's minds, fresh and ever-present for a long time to come. Reactions ranged from nonplussed to feverishly amped and shocked surprise to bowel emptying fear. But, one thing was certain. This experience would stay with them for years.

Bombs blasted behind them and beside them. Explosions lit the artificial landscape, burning all to ash. The crew watched the carnage unfold as if through a thin, fragile pane of glass. The threat of danger loomed within arms' reach. Crewmen stood, scared and strained, captivated by the eminence of destruction but careful not to neglect their duties.

That was the scene they'd only narrowly survived. Flames licking their heels from the decimated facility and constant, concussive blasts shaking their constitution, the less experienced of the group struggled to hold back the queasiness that built within them when a powerful current outlining a piece of the 'island's' coast caught hold of their ship, wrenching control from their numbers and propelling them at blistering speeds into a tunnel of raging waters. With visceral and violent nonstop explosions ringing behind them, merging into one epic, indistinguishable blast that would leave nothing behind, the last thing they heard was the sound of a bubble bursting before the force of the water increased tenfold and in an instant, the gigantic battleship was spit from the ocean depths like a projectile pea from a pea shooter.

The landing was rough and unsteady, but, safe from the nipping flames and destructive quakes, much of the crew clung weakly to the rails, some emptying his stomach of its contents while others simply dry heaved into the ocean, all trying desperately to purge the nightmare they'd just escaped from their very being. Order would be restored. An updated course would be figured and set. But, first, rest. The men needed to settle down, and with an almost fated reprieve finally arriving, the men eventually slunk to the deck, free of all worries including the little matter of a food shortage that had been made infinitely worse and still not addressed or the marines that had so unrelentingly chased them from the shores of Nobella.

"You look annoyingly satisfied," Bo groaned at the smirking Shaad standing over him. Bo lay on the table in the surgery bay, Omar and Rose pensively preparing outside alongside a select few other doctors on the crew. Shaad was the only person in the room with him, and he wished the hindrance would leave him alone already.

"I am, and you should be, too," Shaad drawled, his Cheshire cat like grin taunting Bo as he took a step forward and looked down on the slightly younger captain. "You gained quite a bit from this little excursion, wouldn't you say?"

"Like what," Bo skeptically questioned, settling into the surgery table, too tired to offer up an embattled rebuke of Shaad's foolishness."

Shaad smirked at Bo's attitude. "A cohesive unit for one. Insight into how your enemy works for another. Throw in the information Mage gathered -" Shaad paused, his grin growing as Bo involuntarily raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you didn't know. Well, I'm sure Mage plans on telling you what he found. Anyway, at least you got rid of all those treacherous elements."

"What are you implying," Bo stated, his tone warning Shaad to be careful in how he proceeded.

"I'm not implying anything. I'm saying that you set up those who spoke or plotted against you to be the first ones into the abyss, sacrificing them all like lambs to the slaughter to a menace you didn't even know existed." Shaad chuckled teasingly, cutting off Bo as he looked ready to argue. "No need to explain it to me. I've told you before, we're more alike than you probably care to admit. No matter; I'm tired. Wake me when we get to. . . wherever we're going."

"Sihar," Bo answered groggily as Shaad strolled away and the team of surgeons replaced him in the room, the captain slowly losing the battle for consciousness to the anesthesia in his system. "Sihar."

* * *

 **A/N:** Again, we've reached the end of a segment in this story. No clue as to how long it'll take to start up again, but it will probably be a while. Until then, thanks for reading.


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